ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan has emerged as the largest donor of World Food Programme (WFP) with donation of 519,000 metric tons wheat worth US$ 198 million since 2013.
Over the past few years, Pakistan has shown an impressive example of quick recovery following recurrent natural and manmade disasters.
The catastrophic earthquake of 2005 and devastating 2010 floods caused considerable damage across the country and have been followed by smaller disasters, said a press release Monday.
Pakistan not only demonstrated its resilience but also made considerable progress towards economic development as well as peace and stability, and recorded improvements in its socio-economic indicators while simultaneously aligning itself with the global movements.
The Government of Pakistan has become the signatory to the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement signed up to the Zero Hunger Challenge and lately committed to the Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger and poverty by 2030.
The government’s partnership with WFP in Pakistan is critical in achieving these goals and the WFP has admired the leadership of the government in improving food security and nutrition, exemplified in its Vision 2025, and appreciates the priority that it places on the provision of social and productive safety nets for the most vulnerable populations.
The Benazir Income Support programme, the largest social safety net programme in Pakistan provides monthly cash support to 5 million of the most vulnerable women.
WFP is working closely with local producers from the private sector in Pakistan and continues to invest in local research, expertise and capacity in the development and production of its local supplementary commodities that have already been exported to other WFP operations around the world in support of life saving nutrition interventions.
This allows not only to provide assistance in a more cost-efficient manner, but also contributes to stimulate national economy and employment; WFP’s investment of US$189 million in Pakistan through local procurement between 2011 and 2015 is a testament to our commitment to bolster the country’s economic growth.
Source: APP
