ISLAMABAD: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday announced that to provide Rs15,000 in cash for each family affected in the recent floods in Sindh to help them meet their food and other essential requirements.
The funds are being dispersed as part of the WFP’s second phase of aid to counter the floods and aim to support 117,000 affected families.
Support from committed donors like the European Union (EU) allowed WFP to reach over 71,000 people, who were most affected by the disaster, with in-kind food assistance by early September.
A contribution of 500,000 euros from the EU has helped tens of thousands of families in Sindh who have received food and cash assistance from WFP in the aftermath of the devastating floods that hit the country in August.
“The unconditional cash support from the EU has enabled the most vulnerable families to cover their essential food and non-food needs such as medicine, water and shelter repairs,” WFP Pakistan Representative and Country Director Chris Kaye said.
Apart from food and cash assistance, the EU’s support has allowed WFP to produce and disseminate information packages on nutrition and hygiene among mothers and children across Sindh province. Another awareness-raising initiative has sensitised communities to the importance of precautionary measures preventing the spread of Covid-19 and dengue.
WFP’s emergency response has been coordinated with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Sindh, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and implementing partners including ACTED and Secours Islamique France (SIF).