Karachi: First Lady Asifa Bhutto Zardari has reaffirmed her support for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) efforts to advance the Zero Hunger agenda in Pakistan.
A WFP delegation led by Representative and Country Director WFP Pakistan Anita Hirsch called on the First Lady in Karachi on Wednesday.
The delegation briefed her on WFP initiatives covering nutrition, food security, school meals and climate resilience, particularly its collaboration under the Benazir Nashonuma Programme.
The First Lady was informed that the Benazir Nashonuma Programme has reached more than three million women and children across Pakistan since its inception, including over 1.7 million beneficiaries in Sindh.
The delegation also highlighted WFP's US$40 million School Meals Programme, which targets 100,000 children in 614 government schools in Malir and Keamari.
The programme also includes interventions addressing acute malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, water, sanitation and hygiene, and climate resilience.
The First Lady underscored the importance of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme and its complementarity with the work of UN agencies in Pakistan, particularly efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger.
She called for an integrated approach to maternal and child health, breastfeeding, immunisation, nutrition, early childhood development and reduction of infant mortality and stunting.
She also stressed the importance of accessible paediatric healthcare and highlighted the work of the ChildLife Foundation.
Welcoming the WFP School Meals Programme, the First Lady expressed particular interest in centralised kitchen models and proposed greater emphasis on school-based agriculture and kitchen gardens.
She said such initiatives could help children learn about nutrition, agriculture and healthy food through practical experience.
Discussing Pakistan's climate vulnerability, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2022, the First Lady stressed the need to move beyond disaster response towards early warning systems, anticipatory action and community resilience.
She highlighted Sindh's programme to construct around 2.1 million flood-resilient homes, with ownership provided to women of beneficiary households.
The WFP delegation briefed the First Lady on anticipatory action, disaster-risk financing, early-warning systems, climate-resilient agriculture and measures to protect livelihoods and livestock from natural disasters.
WFP programmes also support kitchen gardening, community food security and women-led livelihoods in flood-affected areas.
The First Lady reaffirmed her support for WFP's efforts to achieve Zero Hunger in Pakistan and assured the delegation that she would contribute to advocacy and public-awareness initiatives related to nutrition and food security.
She also expressed continued support for WFP's ShareTheMeal initiative and stressed the importance of sustained cooperation among the government, the United Nations and development partners to ensure access to adequate nutrition, healthcare and education for vulnerable women and children.