Geneva: Pakistan’s floods threaten food supply in crisis-hit Afghanistan In this context, the United Nations has expressed concern over the worsening flood situation in Pakistan. Devastating floods in Pakistan are hampering efforts to get food to neighboring Afghanistan, the U.N. said. Most of the food aid is transported by road through Pakistan. The current situation in Pakistan is also making Afghanistan miserable.
“We are very concerned about overall food safety. Our eyes are not only on Pakistan but also on the problems in Afghanistan. A large amount of food enters Afghanistan through the port of Karachi. Many roads were washed away due to floods. That’s a big challenge for us,” said Chris Kaye, WFP’s Pakistan country director.
‘WFP procured 320,000 metric tonnes last year to support operations in Afghanistan. Floods in Pakistan undermine those efforts. There is a big problem now in restoring agricultural production in Pakistan. It has been decided to continue supplying food to Afghanistan. The wheat harvest was being stored in flood-prone areas of Pakistan. A large part of the wheat was washed away. Even before the floods, the food security situation in Pakistan was critical. Now it’s up. 43 percent people are food insecure. The country is ranked 92 out of 116 on the Global Hunger Index, he said.
Monsoon rains have submerged a third of Pakistan. The rains that started since June have already claimed more than a thousand lives and caused damage worth crores. Officials have blamed climate change for increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the world.