Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The World Food Programme (WFP) would assist eight million people till 2015 at a total cost of $535 million in different parts of the country, especially in the disaster-prone areas.
Talking to newsmen, Director Procurement Division Ms. Corinne Fleischer told that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has inaugurated its Cold Storage facility in Karachi to store and protect high value nutritious items. These commodities are distributed at the Nutrition and Livelihood projects WFP is implementing in Sindh.
The event was inaugurated by Ms. Corinne Fleischer the Director Procurement Division at WFP among others were Ms. Isabelle Mballa, Chief, Food Quality & Safety Unit at WFP, Senior WFP staff and representatives of other humanitarian agencies.
The officials told that several areas in Sindh affected by drought repeatedly, causing severe shortage of food, resulting in malnutrition, diseases and death. Children and pregnant women are affected the most. Since 2014, WFP in Pakistan, has adopted a persistent approach towards achieving sustainable food security in all parts of the country.
In Sindh WFP is implementing the Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) interventions in five districts and a Stunting Prevention project in collaboration with the Government in 29 union councils of district Thatta. Through these projects WFP provides supplementary food to the identified undernourished children and Pregnant and Lactating Women.
The foods distributed include Micro Nutrition Powder (MNP) and Nutrient rich supplements; Wawamum and Wheat Soya Blend. All three are highly temperature sensitive and requires to be stored at controlled temperatures i.e. 18 to 25 degree.
Protecting these commodities is challenging as Pakistan has a continental type of climate characterized by extreme variations of temperature, both seasonally and daily. Cognizance of this need, WFP has constructed a Cold Storage facility in WFP’s rented warehouse at Port Qasim.
The state of the art facility has a capacity to store 250 metric tons of food items, enhancing WFP Pakistan’s ability to handle the temperature sensitive items and their delivery effectively. The facility will not only help safeguard WFP’s commodities but will also be used for other humanitarian agencies, in Pakistan. page2 “WFP’ specialized nutrient-rich foods with essential minerals and vitamins needed for a young child to be healthy, overcome malnutrition and grow well are locally produced and adjusted to food preferences and halal requirements. Because of their ready-to-eat nature, they are sensitive to high temperatures.
The two active nutrition projects using these specialized foods, created an acute need for a temperature controlled storage facility in Karachi to protect the quality of the food items before they are sent out for distribution” said Ms. Corinne Fleischer In the past WFP has constructed similar facilities in Multan, Peshawar and Quetta.
She further told that this programme would help improve the economic opportunities and boost the community resilience in the disaster-prone areas, and address nutrition and education in the country.
She said WFP with the help of donors funds is able to achieve the set target and government of Pakistan also provides wheat to WFP in difficult times which enable UN agency to provide food to people.
To a question, she said that the WFP has been closely collaborating with the government of Pakistan at both the federal and provincial levels to align its strategies with the national priorities addressing food and nutrition security as well as enhancing national disaster preparedness and response.
