KARACHI: Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson BISP said that Benazir Income Support Programme had been instrumental to providing targeted cash relief to 2.8 million families affected by floods and an amount of $ 316 million allocated by government of Pakistan had been distributed among them. 

Expressing her views during an Executive Board meeting of World Food Programme (WFP) in Italy Marri said that Pakistan was facing major challenge to meet food security and nutrition targets of Sustainable Development Goal 2 by 2030. 

She informed participants that government of Pakistan estimated more than 33 million people across country affected by recent floods in 82 districts. Around 650,000 pregnant women in flood affected areas of Pakistan are facing challenges in getting access to maternal services. Nearly four million children lack access to health services, Marri added. While appreciating role of World Food Programme, she said that WFP and BISP had designed and initiated pilot programme in 15 districts- “Conditional Cash Transfer Programme “Nashnonuma” on improving health and nutrition situation in Pakistan”. 

Programme provides pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) already enrolled in BISP Kafalat programme with a comprehensive package of four interventions- awareness sessions on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition and hygiene practices, provision of specialised nutritious foods to PLW and children under age of two, antenatal and postnatal care services, routine child growth monitoring and immunisation and conditional cash stipends in addition to Benazir Kafalat’s cash transfers, she added. She said that with commitment to institutionalise efforts of government in sustaining and retaining Benazir Nashonuma implementation model, WFP had initiated some crucial strategic shifts to foster this commitment with efficiency and cost effectiveness, allowing nutrition services to reach more beneficiaries at right time through sustainable approaches. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 19 2022

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