‘WFP in partnership with govt ensures people have access to safe, healthy food’

Islamabad:World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director Ms Coco Ushiyama has said that the WFP in collaboration with the government and other partners is working to ensure that people have access to safe and healthy food.

"Access to nutritious and affordable food remains a critical issue in Pakistan, especially in rural and underserved areas and the World Food Programme (WFP) is working to address these challenges, focusing on food accessibility and affordability as part of its broader efforts to support the fundamental right to food," she told this agency in an interview.

Elaborating on her organisation’s work, she said WFP''s approach is rooted in partnerships and by joining forces with organisations like the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), WFP works on both policy and community levels. This includes contributing to food security and nutrition policy discussions and advocating for stronger social protection systems, she said, adding that at the community level, WFP collaborates with local governments to ensure that people have access to safe, nutritious food.

She said that one of WFP’s key initiatives is the Benazir Nashonuma Programme -- a nationwide effort to prevent stunting. She said this programme combines health and nutrition services to support mothers and children, especially those under two years old, adding that through this initiative, WFP is seeing promising results in tackling stunting and improving nutritional outcomes. WFP is also working on school meal programmes and has recently launched a new initiative in Balochistan, she said, adding that this programme provides schoolchildren with locally grown, nutritious meals, improving their health and supporting their education.

These meals not only keep children in school but also enhance their ability to learn, contributing to long-term human capital development, she added. WFP brings decades of experience in school meal programmes, implemented in over 100 countries. These initiatives are effective in increasing school attendance, retention, and learning outcomes. The impact goes beyond education, as better health and nutrition are directly linked to a child’s ability to focus and succeed academically. She said by integrating school meals with broader health and hygiene efforts, WFP ensures a comprehensive approach to child development, adding in some regions, the programme also supports local farmers.