CM, WFP agree to boost disaster response, climate change adaptation

The Sindh chief minister and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) country director on Wednesday agreed to strengthen their collaboration in disaster preparedness, response and mitigation; climate change adaptation; acute malnutrition and stunting; school meals; and expanding food silos under the WFP’s five-year Country Strategic Plan.

The meeting between Syed Murad Ali Shah and Coco Ushiyama was held at the CM House, and was also attended by Planning & Development Chairman Najam Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh and WFP representatives.

CM Shah on the occasion recognised the enduring partnership between the Sindh government and the WFP in addressing humanitarian and developmental challenges in the province.

He mentioned the successful collaboration with the WFP in conducting the post-disaster needs assessment and the forming of the 4RF (resilient recovery, rehabilitation & reconstruction framework) for sustainable recovery in alignment with the Sindh Strategic Action Plan for Flood 2022.

He said the WFP is also involved in disaster preparation, mitigation and reduction in the province. Moreover, the WFP and its partners implemented a $200,000 Disaster Risk & Reduction Management Programme, benefiting over 51,000 people in the Dadu and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts in 2023, he added.

Shah said that under the Benazir Income Support Programme, his government with the support of the WFP is providing various services, including nutrition, health and social behaviour change to pregnant and breastfeeding women and their children enrolled in the programme. To date, he pointed out, more than 830,000 individuals in 140 static and mobile facilitation centres across 30 districts have been enrolled in the programme.

He said the WFP also supports the Adolescent Girls Nutrition Programme, and is expanding its wheat flour fortification initiative using small-scale wheat mills under the Chakki Fortification Programme in eight districts of Sindh. Regarding food system strengthening, the CM expressed the need to enhance wheat storage capacity in the province.

He said the WFP through the International Finance Corporation is supporting the Sindh Food Department to construct strategic grain reserves with a total capacity of 1.085 million metric tons through public-private partnership to modernise storage infrastructure for efficient management of wheat reserves.

Talking about the School Meals programme, the CM discussed the issue of out-of-school children, and urged the WFP to support pilot programmes that can eventually be scaled over time. The WFP country director affirmed the organisation’s support for the school meals programme in the province.

The CM was informed about the joint community-based disaster risk management project in Dadu and Jamshoro, and assured the release of budgetary support for enhancing community resilience against natural/climatic shocks.

Furthermore, with a focus on climate change adaptation, the Sindh government and the WFP aim to develop joint proposals/projects to access resources from entities supporting climate financing. The WFP also expressed readiness to support community resilience-building activities under the Sindh Coastal Resilience Project in the Badin, Sujawal and Thatta districts.