World Food Programme (WFP) in Pakistan on Thursday commended wheat donation announced by Federal government to restore food basket to a level that fully meets basic needs of the poor. An official at WFP said this timely contribution is greatly welcomed which demonstrates the government’s ownership of the development process and commitment to helping its people.
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 metric tons of wheat was 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.
He said valued at approximately US $25 million, the contribution places Pakistan as WFP’s second largest donor so far this year. The wheat would be milled, fortified and then provided to families displaced by security operations or only recently able to return to their homes in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), he said. Combined with much-needed contributions from other donors, the official said, it would allow WFP to distribute a full cereal ration to these groups until the end of the year.
He said a shortage of resources had forced WFP to reduce rations from January and added the donation of 75,000 metric tons of wheat was announced at a time when critical funding shortages threatened provision of emergency food assistance to almost one million displaced people.
