ISLAMABAD: World Food Programme (WFP) is facing a critical shortfall of US $109 million dollar for the floods operation in Sindh and Balochistan.
WFP spokesman Amjad Jamal told APP on Friday that the WFP has only supplies to continue distributions in flood areas untill the end of November, leaving no option but to cut the ration numbers of beneficiaries from December.
He said funds are needed on urgent basis to conduct life saving relief food distributions for the most vulnerable victims of the disaster over a planned four month alongside the Rabi crop season and targeted nutritional support to malnourished women and children until February in Sindh and Balochistan.
To a question, he said WFP has reached around 201 million flood affected beneficiaries in Sindh since operation started on September 12, this year.
He said currently food distribution has started in three districts Kalat, Killah Abdullah and Lasbela of Balochistan where WFP aims to reach more than 60,000 of the most severely affected by the end of month.
To another question, he said WFP has scaled up food assistance in the ongoing month, following cutback by government actors in many districts and is on course to achieve its target of reaching 2.2 million beneficiaries this month.
He said more then 1.7 million beneficiaries have so been far reached by WFP in Sindh in October following September's total of nearly 550,000 since the beginning of the emergency response to the floods.
The WFP has significantly scaled up its distribution pace and is now providing monthly ration to more than 100,000 beneficiaries every day, he said.
He said safe guards have been built in to distributions to ensure that traditionally marginalized groups (female-headed households the non able bodied and the elderly) have equal access to assistance such as separate distribution counters and direct delivery of food rations.
WFP has received assurances at the highest level that the government is prepared to provide a substantial in kind contribution of wheat to the flood operation he said.
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