Pakistan Country Brief March 2024: WFP Highlights in Pakistan
Published on: April 26, 2024.
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Assistance to Over Half a Million People in Pakistan
The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided vital assistance to 532,975 people in Pakistan. As part of their efforts, they distributed 2,190 metric tons of food and provided $570,000 in cash assistance. The Benazir Nashonuma Programme, implemented by WFP in partnership with Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), supported 367,410 pregnant and breastfeeding women and children.
Building Resilience and Livelihood Support
WFP has reached 69,284 people in 9 districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, and Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) with resilience-building activities. These activities include asset creation and livelihood support, helping communities recover from the effects of natural disasters like the 2022 floods. In Sindh province, WFP has started a second phase of a multiyear project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on resilience-building in flood-affected areas.
Tackling Malnutrition
WFP has been actively addressing malnutrition in Pakistan. Through the community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) initiative, they have supported 75,463 moderately malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and children in 11 districts of Balochistan, KP, and Sindh provinces. As part of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, a nationwide initiative to prevent stunting, WFP provided 33 million sachets of specialized nutritious food (SNF) to 367,410 PBW and children aged 6-23 months, along with increasing awareness on health and nutrition.
Under the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, CMAM services are being provided to treat malnutrition. In March alone, 9,485 malnourished PBW and children were enrolled. WFP is also running an adolescent nutrition programme through 32 BNP facilitation centers in six targeted districts, with 5,120 girls in the age group of 15-19 years enrolled.
Cash Assistance and Support to Rice Mills
WFP has implemented a nutrition-focused social safety net intervention in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, providing cash assistance to households with malnourished children and PBW. A total of 15,698 CMAM beneficiaries have received cash-based transfers.
WFP has expanded its support to rice mills, increasing the number from 50 to 70 in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Additionally, micro-feeders have been installed in 29 other mills. To ensure quality management, 30 rice mill operators received training on equipment usage and quality management.
Promoting Girls’ Education
WFP has signed an agreement with the Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to implement a three-year cash stipend programme for adolescent schoolgirls. 30,000 eligible girls enrolled in grades 6-12 will receive a monthly cash stipend of PKR 1,000 (US$ 3.6) for nine months each year. This initiative aims to enhance girls’ access to education and improve retention rates in schools.
Training and Data Analytics
To improve reporting and operational visibility, WFP organized partner connect training sessions for field staff and cooperating partners. Additionally, WFP offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan underwent an extensive training programme in collaboration with WFP’s supply chain division at headquarters. The training focused on enhancing data analytics, operational visibility, and evidence-based decision-making.
