WFP seeks long-term climate resilience in Pakistan

Country Director Ushiyama says it is time to invest in enhancing resilience ahead of future shocks

ISLAMABAD:

 

The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday it was focused on fostering long-term resilience against climate change, strengthening food systems, and providing vital support to Pakistani government programmes aimed at rebuilding affected communities for a more sustainable future.

WFP Pakistan Country Director Coco Ushiyama said in a statement that now was the time to enhance resilience ahead of future shocks, adding that the WFP looked forward to enhanced partnerships towards the collective future of food security and nutrition for all.

“Flood-affected communities were provided with vital lifesaving and sustaining cash and food assistance with the support of humanitarian actors and donors like the EU,” Ushiyama said. “Now is the time to invest in enhancing resilience ahead of future shocks.”

More than 1,700 people lost their lives in the 2022 floods, which affected over 33 million people nationwide. Sindh, at heart of the Indus River basin, was the worst-affected province, accounting for nearly 70% of total losses and damage.

To support 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 recovery and rehabilitation of flood-affected people.

During the flood response period, which ended in December, the WFP supported those hit the hardest by the floods. Besides, many households 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 deluge.

The statement said that the WFP supported more than 180,000 flood-affected people in seven districts of Sindh in 2023 through its multipurpose cash interventions funded from the €3 million contribution provided by the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid Operations department.

EU Humanitarian Aid head in Pakistan Tahini Thammannagoda said that assistance enabled the flood-affected families to secure food, healthcare, education, and shelter in Jamshoro, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Nousheroferoz, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Umerkot districts.

“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 EU supported the most vulnerable people with emergency assistance at a critical time,” Thammannagoda added in the statement.

APP