MIRPUR (AJK): The Republic of Korea is donating US$ 200,000 to help the Government of Pakistan respond to the worst locust infestation in more than two decades, says a news release issued by WFP – FAO wings of the United Nations organization on Thursday.
The contribution will be channeled through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and goes towards supporting smallholder farmers who are most at risk of food shortage due to the crisis, it said.
“Sympathizing with Pakistani farmers’ suffering and damages from desert locust, the Korean government has decided to participate in helping Pakistani government’s relief effort.” said Korean Ambassador Mr. Kwak Sung-Kyu. “I hope this support will serve as a good momentum to upgrade bilateral agricultural cooperation between Korea and Pakistan including currently on-going project to establish KOPIA center in Pakistan”, the news release said.
“Concerted efforts will help address the imminent threat of desert locust to ensure food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture,” said Minà Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative in Pakistan.
“We are grateful for the timely support from the Republic of Korea,” said Chris Kaye, WFP Representative and Country Director. “Our priority is not only to help communities protect their crops and livelihoods, but also build their resilience so that they withstand such shocks better in the future.”
WFP and FAO will work together under the ‘critical support for Desert Locust prevention and control operations in Pakistan’ project to build the capacities of the relevant government departments and local farming communities living in locus-prone and affected areas.
The project will be implemented in close collaboration with the Departments of the Plant Protection and Agriculture, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs).
It may be added that the WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with the communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists 80 million people in 80 countries.
Similarly the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.