‘Quake hit areas require $167m for immediate relief’
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—Meetings of the Coordination Committee on Food, Nutrition and Early Recovery of Agriculture Sector to channelize US $167 million for immediate relief in quake hit areas held here on Monday and Tuesday with Secretary Food and Agriculture Muhammad Ismail Qureshi in chair. The meetings were attended by Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Food Programme (WFP), World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), US Aid and representatives of Economic Affairs Division, Relief Commissioner, Agriculture Secretaries of AJK and NWFP governments.
FAO, ADB and WFP presented needs assessment and requirements for short, medium and long term programmes totalling US $ 558 million including immediate requirements of US $167 million, according to a press release issued here. The immediate requirements include $113 million for Food & Nutrition and $54 million for Agricultural & Livestock early recovery with the following key areas of intervention during November, 2005:-
Provision of Agriculture inputs (Seed & Fertilizer); Seed & Food Storage Bins; Livestock Sheds; Food for Livestock Sheds. FAO has already initiated procurement of agricultural input under Technical Cooperation Programme of Rs. 30 million which will be supplemented by other donors and federal & provincial governments.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock has decided to release 530,000 M. Tons of wheat for immediate requirements which include 80,000 MT for AJK and 30,000 MT for World Food Programme for urgent distribution. This includes earlier allocation of 300,000 MT to NWFP and 120,000 MT to AJK Government. They were advised to ensure urgent distribution of food items to the most vulnerable population.
World Food Programme informed that 2.3 million people were food insecure. The assessed requirement would be 212,000 MT food including 160,000 MT of wheat plus oil, sugar, rice etc. orld Bank, Asian Development Bank and IFAD have also agreed to reallocate and provide more than US $ 100 million directly from their on-going programmes to AJK and NWFP governments for early recovery including agriculture. They will be implemented by the Governments of AJK and NWFP in coordination with the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock.