The Government of Pakistan announced a donation of 75,000 tonnes of wheat to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) at a time when critical funding shortages threatened the provision of emergency food assistance to almost one million displaced people in the country's north-west. Valued at approximately US $25 million, the contribution places Pakistan as WFP's second largest donor in the country so far this year.
"This very timely contribution is greatly welcomed and demonstrates the Government's ownership of the development process and commitment to helping its people," said Jean-Luc Siblot, WFP Country Director and Representative in Pakistan. "The last thing we want to do is to cut assistance for the poorest and most vulnerable, and this wheat will help us to restore the food basket to a level that fully meets basic needs."
The wheat will be milled, fortified and then provided to families displaced by security operations or only recently able to return to their homes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Combined with much-needed contributions from other donors, it will allow WFP to distribute a full cereal ration to these groups until the end of the year. A shortage of resources forced WFP to reduce rations from January.
This latest contribution follows sizeable in-kind donations from the Federal Government and provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan last year. More than 70,000 tonnes of wheat were successfully delivered to both displaced and flood-affected communities in 2012, following a highly positive response from other donors to WFP's appeal for complementary 'twinning' funds. "We will again be looking to the international donor community to provide some US $23 million needed for WFP to mill, fortify, transport and distribute the wheat," said Siblot. "Additional funds will also be required to purchase other commodities in the food basket, including specialised nutritious products for young children."
Comments
Comments are closed.