PM lauds WFP for delivering food assistance in emergencies

WFP chief thanks Pakistan for repairing aircraft returning from Kabul; hopes to build airbridge between Isl and Kabul

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated on Thursday the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for delivering food assistance in emergencies, and for working with countries worldwide to improve nutrition and build resilience.

The premier's remarks came during a meeting with the UN WFP Executive Director David Beasley in Islamabad. The UN agency is currently engaged in providing food assistance to Afghanistan as it battles uncertainty following the country's takeover by the Taliban.

In his conversation with the WFP chief, PM Imran reiterated that the formation of an inclusive Afghan government and positive engagement of the international community was the way to avert any humanitarian crisis and secure peace in Afghanistan.

He emphasised that Pakistan has been a beneficiary of various projects of the WFP that are being implemented in the country and values its partnership with the organisation.

Read Some Afghans flee, some return to homeland in hope of peace

Executive Director Beasley expressed his gratitude to Pakistan for its role in facilitating the work of the WFP in providing food assistance to the Afghans.

He also discussed ways of continuing the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

'Thank you Pakistan'

Earlier, the WFP chief shared a video in his Twitter handle from the federal capital, where the food agency's helicopters and planes were being repaired, thanking Pakistan for its assistance.

“The Pakistani government has really helped us so that we can bring the aircraft damaged in Kabul here for repair,” he said in the clip.

#NEWS: Our damaged planes from #Kabul have been repaired, and @WFP is now ready to establish a humanitarian air bridge between Islamabad-Kabul & other destinations in #Afghanistan. This will allow us to scale up to meet the needs of the Afghan people. Thank you, @GovtofPakistan. pic.twitter.com/3MBgzDv493

— David Beasley (@WFPChief) August 25, 2021

 

According to Beasely, test flights are being conducted from Islamabad to Kabul in hopes of creating an airbridge “from external to internal”. The aim is to take UN personnel, NGOs and aid workers to Afghanistan, he added.

“We will have these fixed wings moving passengers, UN personnel, WFP and other humanitarian workers, so that we can not only maintain our operations but also scale up, which is critical right now with all the devastation inside Afghanistan”, Beasely maintained.He hoped to “bring life back to normal and give hope to people in desperation right now”.

In his Tweet, Beasely thanked the government of Pakistan for their support.

The UN’s World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency working towards eradicating hunger across the globe.