Islamabad: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has significantly expanded its nutritional and resilience support programs across Pakistan, benefiting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals. The initiatives, which include the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP) and resilience building activities, have reached communities in multiple provinces, aiming to improve health, nutrition, and economic stability.
According to United Nations World Food Programme, the Benazir Nashonuma Programme has successfully delivered nutritional supplements and services to approximately 395,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and children. Additionally, the Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program has aided 15,000 moderately malnourished individuals in the same groups.
In terms of resilience and livelihood, the WFP has reached around 8,000 people through various activities that included US$100,000 in cash transfers. These activities were spread across three districts in Sindh Province, focusing on disaster risk management, vocational training, and livestock management among other initiatives. Notably, the program supported goatrearing training for female-headed households and initiated the construction of 450 water ponds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab as part of the Government’s Living Indus Initiative.
The renewed partnership between Pakistan’s Secretary of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Mr. Amer Ali Ahmed, and WFP Assistant Executive Director, Ms. Rania Dagash-Kamara, marked a continued commitment to the BNP. This collaboration, backed by a US$193 million contribution, aims to reach over 2 million individuals with health services and nutritional support across the country.
Overall, the WFP’s efforts in Pakistan have not only addressed immediate nutritional needs but have also laid groundwork for sustainable development through enhanced resilience and livelihood programs. These initiatives are projected to have lasting impacts on the health and economic well-being of the targeted populations.