ISLAMABAD:
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) successfully completed its support project for the farming and herding communities affected by devastating floods in Balochistan and Sindh in 2022, benefitting more than 74,000 households, said a press release here on Monday.
The critical emergency project worth $6.48 million, was made possible through the funding from the government of Japan. The project focused on restoring food production, improving household nutrition, and building longer-term resilience in areas devastated by the unprecedented floods.
“This project reflects our commitment to helping the people of Pakistan recover from the devastating floods and rebuild their lives through practical, sustainable support,” Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi said, while speaking at the project closing ceremony at the FAO’s Islamabad office.
According to the press release, over 74,000 householdsequivalent to more than 520,000 peoplebenefited from the initiative, which combined agricultural support with livestock protection and targeted assistance for female-headed families,” the press release stated.
The initiative involved the distribution of seeds, fertilisers, and training to help families restart food production. More than 14,000 farming families received inputs to resume crop cultivation, enabling the production of staple and nutritious crops such as wheat, rice, maize, okra, brinjal, and tomatoes.
Support to livestock-owning families included the distribution of animal feed, mineral blocks, poultry, and small ruminants.