Britain to support 115,000 flood-hit families
UK extends support to ensure food aid reaches flood stricken families after floods destroyed 2m hectares of crops.
ISLAMABAD:
Britain has extended its support to ensure food aid reaches more than 115,000 flood stricken families for another year in Pakistan’s flood stricken areas where more than 2 million hectares of crops have been destroyed.
The recent spell of floods in the country destroyed two million hectares of crops. The damage caused to harvests has caused the farmers to worry about their future as four out of five people affected by the floods are dependent on farming either for food or to make a living.
UK Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has announced that the support from British taxpayers will ensure crop packages to reach some of the most vulnerable households in flood-hit areas, so that they can plant wheat seeds before the end of the ‘rabi’ - winter crop planting season – that starts in mid November. In addition, vegetable seeds that take as little as six weeks to grow will provide families with a fast source of food or produce for sale, while livestock owners will receive feed and basic veterinary medicines.
“The two million hectares of crops destroyed in Pakistan is a timely reminder of how vulnerable farmers and agriculturalists in the developing world remain to sudden shocks and unpredictable disasters such as the floods,” said Mitchell, adding, “As people in Pakistan begin to return to what’s left of their homes, they are finding food supplies and crops ruined, more than six million chicken killed and around a million sheep and goats.”
Mitchell said that it is therefore vital that Britain helps people plant new crops in this narrow window over the next month, and ensure that livestock that has survived is not now lost to disease or lack of food.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2010.
Britain has extended its support to ensure food aid reaches more than 115,000 flood stricken families for another year in Pakistan’s flood stricken areas where more than 2 million hectares of crops have been destroyed.
The recent spell of floods in the country destroyed two million hectares of crops. The damage caused to harvests has caused the farmers to worry about their future as four out of five people affected by the floods are dependent on farming either for food or to make a living.
UK Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has announced that the support from British taxpayers will ensure crop packages to reach some of the most vulnerable households in flood-hit areas, so that they can plant wheat seeds before the end of the ‘rabi’ - winter crop planting season – that starts in mid November. In addition, vegetable seeds that take as little as six weeks to grow will provide families with a fast source of food or produce for sale, while livestock owners will receive feed and basic veterinary medicines.
“The two million hectares of crops destroyed in Pakistan is a timely reminder of how vulnerable farmers and agriculturalists in the developing world remain to sudden shocks and unpredictable disasters such as the floods,” said Mitchell, adding, “As people in Pakistan begin to return to what’s left of their homes, they are finding food supplies and crops ruined, more than six million chicken killed and around a million sheep and goats.”
Mitchell said that it is therefore vital that Britain helps people plant new crops in this narrow window over the next month, and ensure that livestock that has survived is not now lost to disease or lack of food.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2010.