ISLAMABAD: The 2022 flood victims in Sindh who were devastated by the worst ever flooding in the country’s history, resulted in displacing almost eight million people and overall affecting 33 million people across the country, are still struggling to cope with the losses caused by the floods.
According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), “Over one and half years later, many people still struggle to cope with the losses caused by the devastating 2022 floods.
Together with partners like WFP, the European Union (EU) supported the most vulnerable people with emergency assistance at a critical time. Pakistan is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, and helping local communities after a disaster as well as preparing them to face future climate shocks has become a top priority for us,” said Tahini Thammannagoda, Head of EU Humanitarian Aid in Pakistan.
The WFP supported over 180,000 vulnerable flood-affected people through multipurpose cash interventions in seven districts of the Sindh province in 2023. This critical support was made possible through a EUR 3 million contribution from the EU Humanitarian Aid Operations department.
The WFP’s cash support has been a lifeline for families in Jamshoro, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Noushero Feroz, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Umerkot the hardest hit by the catastrophic floods. The assistance has enabled them to secure food, healthcare, education, and shelter. In addition, many households have not only used the cash for their immediate needs but also to rebuild their businesses and other livelihoods that were interrupted or destroyed by the floods.
“The 2022 floods left a lasting scar in the lives and livelihoods of the people of Pakistan. With support of humanitarian actors and donors like the EU, flood-affected communities were provided with vital lifesaving and sustaining cash and food assistance. Now is the time to invest in enhancing resilience ahead of future shocks. Building on the country’s positive examples, WFP looks forward to enhance partnerships towards our collective future of food security and nutrition for all,” said WFP Pakistan’s Representative and Country Director, Coco Ushiyama.
More than 1,700 lost their lives in the 2022 floods which affected over 33 million people nationwide. The Sindh province, at the heart of the Indus River basin, was the worst-affected province, accounting for nearly 70 percent of total losses and damage.
To support and complement the government’s relief and recovery efforts after the floods, WFP leveraged its expertise in logistics, food and cash assistance, and resilience-building to respond to the immediate needs and to support the recovery of flood-affected people, thus helping communities rehabilitate critical community assets and livelihoods.
As the flood response ended in December 2023, WFP is now focusing on fostering long-term resilience against climate change, enhancing nutrition, strengthening food systems, and providing vital support to government programmes aimed at rebuilding and fortifying the affected communities for a more sustainable future.
Around 33 million people were affected, and 20.6 million people in need of lifesaving assistance, half of whom were children. In total, 7.9 million people were displaced, with at least 664,000 individuals moving into relief camps and informal sites.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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