Pakistan Floods: Update on Agriculture - No. 3, 19 August 2010
It is more than two weeks since the onset of the 2010 monsoon and the heaviest torrential rains ever recorded in Pakistan, which triggered flash and riverine floods that ravaged large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab and continue to devastate Sindh and Baluchistan as the water moves southward. According to United Nations (UN) estimates, the number of affected people stands at 15.4 million. At least 1 600 people have died and around 900 000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. A total of over 12 000 villages have been affected thus far. At least 3.2 million hectares of standing crops are under water or destroyed, affecting among the most fertile and productive lands of the country.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the lead agency for the Agriculture Cluster, collaborating closely with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA) and the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Cluster members include international and national non-governmental organizations. FAO is also coordinating closely with the Food and Community Restoration Cluster, other United Nations agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement.
Funding requirements to kick-start the agriculture response amounted to USD 5.7 million through the Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan (PIFERP), specifically in support of surviving livestock through the delivery of feed, veterinary services, de-worming tablets and mineral blocks. The European Union Delegation has supported FAO’s reallocation of USD 1.6 million from an existing European Union Food Facility project to address immediate needs in anticipation of the upcoming planting season, reaching 25 000 households through the distribution of seeds and fertilizers. USD 1.4 million has been allocated by the Central Emergency Response Fund to respond to livestock needs and preparation for Rabi planting. FAO continues to seek additional funds to meet the most immediate needs of surviving livestock and the Rabi 2010 planting season.