The donation of 0.15 million ton wheat worth Rs 5.5 billion ($52 million) to World Food Programme (WFP) has placed Pakistan at second among the donors in the year 2013. This demonstrates the government’s continued ownership of development process and a strong commitment to help its people in need, said WFP Pakistan Country Director Lola Castro in a statement here on Monday.
The international donors have provided complementary funding of $29 million to date, out of the total requirement of $43 million. The Economic Co-ordination Committee of Pakistan has announced release of 75,000 metric ton wheat to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) that completed the entire donation of 150,000 metric tons pledged by the government for 2013.
WFP recently concluded delivery of the first half released earlier this year in support of families affected by law enforcement operations. This latest contribution follows sizeable in-kind donations from the federal government and the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan last year.
More than 70,000 metric ton wheat successfully delivered to disaster-affected communities in 2012, thanks to complementary funding from other donors to cover processing and transportation of the wheat. This latest donation will allow WFP to distribute full cereal ration to these groups until the first part of 2014. WFP works together with the government of Pakistan to provide food assistance and align its strategies with national priorities addressing food security and nutrition in the country.
