Dear Friends,
Joint efforts by state institutions and international organization are needed to rehabilitate millions of flood affected people whose livelihood is related to the agriculture sector. "Joint working of the state institutions and international organizations would result in the required synergy for the uphill task of rehabilitating millions of people, representatives of various international organizations told Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad Gondal during a meeting.
A delegation of UNHCR, WFP and WHO comprising Louis-Georges Arsenault, Director UNICEF, Daniel Toole Regional Director for South Asia, Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General, WHO, Dr. Naeema Al-Gaseer and David Kaatrud, Chief of Assessment, Analysis and Preparedness Service, WFP called on the ministry Friday to discuss various flood-related issues.
"Our top priority is life saving but other areas cannot be ignored," they said adding it was such a disaster that no nation or organization can single handedly deal with it.
"We must work together for the common cause of helping out the people", said the head of the delegation.
Meanwhile, Gondal thanked the international community and organizations for their invaluable contributions in the relief activities and also welcomed the idea of joint working on emergency footing to rehabilitate the flood victims.
He said that agriculture, the primary source for the livelihood has been worst hit by the recent floods and rehabilitating this sector would simply mean the rehabilitation of the millions of displaced people.
Agriculture is the major stake holder in the national economy because it is an agriculture based economy.
"Water systems and channels, farmers grains holdings' and agricultural equipments were washed away by the floods," he said adding any weakness to rehabilitate them would result in dangerous consequences as the negative forces can exploit the situation to their own benefit.
The minister said that his ministry focuses on enabling the farmers to sow all the crops in time so that the means of their livelihood are restored adding the package of giving free of cost seed, fertilizer would be finalized well before the upcoming wheat sowing season.
"We would also require heavy earth-moving agricultural machinery and other equipments to reclaim the land lost due to land erosions," he said adding the proposed package requires an amount of around $ 250 million.
The meeting was attended by Secretary and Additional Secretary MINFA, D.G NAPHIS and other senior officials of the ministry.
"Our top priority is life saving but other areas cannot be ignored," they said adding it was such a disaster that no nation or organization can single handedly deal with it.
"We must work together for the common cause of helping out the people", said the head of the delegation.
Meanwhile, Gondal thanked the international community and organizations for their invaluable contributions in the relief activities and also welcomed the idea of joint working on emergency footing to rehabilitate the flood victims.
He said that agriculture, the primary source for the livelihood has been worst hit by the recent floods and rehabilitating this sector would simply mean the rehabilitation of the millions of displaced people.
Agriculture is the major stake holder in the national economy because it is an agriculture based economy.
"Water systems and channels, farmers grains holdings' and agricultural equipments were washed away by the floods," he said adding any weakness to rehabilitate them would result in dangerous consequences as the negative forces can exploit the situation to their own benefit.
The minister said that his ministry focuses on enabling the farmers to sow all the crops in time so that the means of their livelihood are restored adding the package of giving free of cost seed, fertilizer would be finalized well before the upcoming wheat sowing season.
"We would also require heavy earth-moving agricultural machinery and other equipments to reclaim the land lost due to land erosions," he said adding the proposed package requires an amount of around $ 250 million.
The meeting was attended by Secretary and Additional Secretary MINFA, D.G NAPHIS and other senior officials of the ministry.
Regards
Shoaib Habib Memon
Cell.0314 2090252
No comments:
Post a Comment