UK to give £3.5m aid to help Balochistan recover from COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: In an interesting move, the British government has announced humanitarian aid for Balochistan to help the province recover from COVID-19.

It is the first province for which the British government has made the announcement for assistance. British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner CMG Thursday announced £3.5 million UK humanitarian aid for Balochistan during his first visit to Quetta. According to the British high commission, the rates of malnutrition and food insecurity in the province were already high before the COVID-19 global pandemic, but the virus had affected livelihoods and made the problem worse. The United Kingdom aid would help over 41,000 women and children get vital nutrients they need, through a therapeutic food programme. It will support community outreach workers to identify and help malnourished children, pregnant women and new mothers.

High Commissioner Christian Turner said the COVID-19 pandemic had hit the global economy hard, and that has had a knock-on effect on food security in Balochistan. The UK aid announced would provide life-saving nutrition and humanitarian aid to vulnerable women and children when they need it most – giving the next generation the best start in life.

The UK investment will be split between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Part of the package will also help with cash transfers to help with food and essential living costs. In total, the UK aid will help over 164,000 people in Balochistan.

The British high commissioner also had a meeting with Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan and discussed a variety of matters including the province’s economy. He also met Chris Kaye, country director for WFP. Dr Turner later offered condolences on the terrorist attack on January 2, in which 11 miners were killed. The high commission reminded that as part of the UK’s wide-ranging package to help Pakistan tackle COVID-19 and help people suffering from the wider economic effects, they are working with both the World Food Programme (WFP) and International Rescue Committee (IRC); the nutrition programme will help over 41,000 people (over 9,700 boys, over 10,500 girls and over 21,500 pregnant and lactating women in Balochistan).

In the same province with humanitarian cash transfers, the UK is targeting Jhal Magsi and Chaghai districts, and would reach over 18,000 households (or over 122,000 people). The studies have shown that without enough of the right nutrients, children can suffer from stunting or wasting, when their bodies and brains do not develop the way they should. This can have an impact on entire populations, contributing to a cycle of poverty; the WFP will support government Lady Health Workers (LHWs) at the community level and community outreach workers to screen and identify malnourished children and malnourished pregnant and lactating women. The IRC will work with communities to identify highly vulnerable households providing them with a cash transfer to help cater to their food and livelihood needs.