WFP-USAID bags illegally used to sell rice in Larkana: WFP

ISLAMABAD: World Food Programme (WFP) Thursday said WFP-USAID branded empty bags were used illegally to sell rice in Larkana, Sindh adding that it takes any unauthorized sale of its humanitarian food assistance extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that it reaches those vulnerable people who depend on it for survival.

“WFP is aware of the unauthorized use of WFP-USAID branded food bags in Larkana, Sindh being used to sell non-WFP food in the open market. The issue has been investigated by local authorities. The WFP hotline at 0800 93732 remains available to report any unauthorized sale of WFP assistance”, WFP said in a statement in response to reports of food donated by it being sold in the markets in Larkana, Sindh.

Talking to The News, an official said WFP had provided yellow split peas in WFP-USAID branded food bags to flood affectees in Sindh but some people took the empty bags and after refilling them with rice, sold them in the local market. “WFP never provided rice to the flood affectees in Sindh, instead it was split yellow peas. The empty bags were refilled with rice and sold in the market”, the official added.

Earlier this month, a video had gone viral on social media in which a shopkeeper was selling rice in WFP-USAID branded bags in Jellus Market, Larkana. After the video went viral, different political parties criticised the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government for looting and plundering the flood victims’ relief. The Sindh government initiated an inquiry into the allegations, which revealed that a shopkeeper had purchased the empty bags, which had the monogram of WFP-USAID printed on them. The shopkeeper refiled those bags with rice and sold them.

The fact-finding report submitted to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah further said stern action was taken against the shop owner immediately and the shop was sealed by Mukhtiarkar Larkana to stop the sale till an impartial inquiry was conducted. The Mukhtiarkar also confiscated 1,000 bags which were clearly labelled “Not for sale or purchase”. The inquiry committee, under the supervision of Larkana’s assistant commissioner, is also conducting probe into the case.

The inquiry found that the shopkeeper had purchased the empty bags from a man named Mohammad Saleem who sells gunny bags in the city. Furthermore, the incident report also gave detailed findings of an inquiry conducted by the representative of Secours Islamique France (SIF), an NGO that undertook a ration distribution programme across Sindh for flood victims in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) and USAID. “During the floods, USAID distributed ration among 22,000 families in 11 union councils of Larkana district,” the fact-finding report added. According to the incident report, the SIF representative apprised that the food bags did not contain rice as it is being circulated rather, it contained 9kg of yellow split peas.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Sindh government said a fact-finding team was constituted to probe into allegations of WFP-USAID food donations being sold into the market and it has found all allegations to be ‘wrong and baseless’.

In fact, the inquiry found “empty bags of WFP-USAID were used to refill rice and sell in the market”, he said adding that the whole issue was conveyed to international donors, who also expressed their satisfaction over the inquiry.