World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Pakistan is frequently confronted with a range of natural disasters, in particular floods, earthquakes, droughts and cyclones.

The first convoy of trucks carrying food from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help people affected by the 2011 monsoon floods had arrived in early September 2011. Badin district in Sindh was the first to receive the assistance, that was consequently distributed to 2.5 million people in the worst affected districts in Sindh and Balochistan.

Amena is one of the millions of people who saw their homes and land submerged by water during the monsoon floods which hit southern Pakistan two months ago. She and her family are reliant on WFP food aid as they wait for flood water to evaporate, so they can start to plant crops again.

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Mir Zadi and her family are among the over 5.3 million people who have hit by the latest floods to hit Sindh in southern Pakistan. They, like many of the flood victims, have already received WFP emergency food rations. Initial distributions will see 500,000 of the worst affected people receive a one-month ration.

One year ago, torrential monsoon rains unleashed a wave of flooding across Pakistan in what would become the worst natural disaster in its history. In response, WFP mounted a huge relief operation to assist over 8.7 million people. Today, flood victims are getting back on their feet with the help of food-based programmes designed to help them rebuild.

Canadian journalist and TV personality George Stroumboulopoulos wanted to see WFP’s work in the field before he agreed to be an Ambassador Against Hunger for the organization. So he went to flood-stricken Pakistan to learn all he could. His experiences are the subject of a TV special broadcast on Friday night. 

After learning that families in Pakistan had been driven from their homes by flooding, 9-year-old Emilie decided that she wanted to help. So she started selling lemonade and gave a speech at a local church. In just a few days, Emilie had raised US $700—enough to feed some 2,800 children in Pakistan.

An innovative new food product made entirely in Pakistan is helping to protect the youngest of that country’s flood victims from malnutrition. Made from locally grown chickpeas, Wawa Mumshows that supplying technical knowhow can be the key to finding local solutions to malnutrition. Watch video

WFP is currently delivering food assistance to around 5.2 million people affected by last year’s floods in Pakistan. That assistance increasingly takes the form of support for projects that rebuild bridges, roads and other important community assets.