WFP faces $109 million shortfall for floods operation

World Food Programme (WFP) is facing a critical shortfall of 109 million dollar for the floods operation in Sindh and Balochistan. WFP spokesman Amjad Jamal told newsmen on Friday that the WFP had only supplies to continue distributions in flood areas until the end of November, leaving no option but to cut the ration numbers of beneficiaries from December.
He said funds were needed on urgent basis to conduct life saving relief food distributions for the most vulnerable victims of the disaster over a planned four month alongside the Rabi crop season and targeted nutritional support to malnourished women and children until February in Sindh and Balochistan. To a question, he said WFP had reached around 201 million flood affected beneficiaries in Sindh since operation started on September 12, this year.
He said currently food distribution had started in three districts Kalat, Killah Abdullah and Lasbela of Balochistan where WFP aimed at reaching more than 60,000 of the most severely affected by the end of month. To another question, he said WFP had scaled up food assistance in the ongoing month, following cutback by government actors in many districts and is on course to achieve its target of reaching 2.2 million beneficiaries this month.
He said more than 1.7 million beneficiaries had so been far reached by WFP in Sindh in October following September's total of nearly 550,000 since the beginning of the emergency response to the floods. The WFP had significantly scaled up its distribution pace and was now providing monthly ration to more than 100,000 beneficiaries every day, he said.
He said safeguards had been built in for distributions to ensure that traditionally marginalised groups (female-headed households the non able bodied and the elderly) had equal access to assistance such as separate distribution counters and direct delivery of food rations. WFP had received assurances at the highest level that the government was prepared to provide a substantial in kind contribution of wheat to the flood operation, he said.