Rural communities of Pakistan were among the hardest hit by the devastating floods of June–August 2022. The disaster wiped out 1.7 million hectares of agricultural land and 800 000 heads of livestock, pushing millions of rural households into poverty and food insecurity. Around 14.6 million people are in need of food security and agricultural assistance. Restoring the livelihoods and food production of rural households is fundamental to the humanitarian response. The document provides an overview of the ongoing response of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in line with national priorities and the revised floods response plan (September 2022–May 2023).
Urgency of humanitarian agricultural assistance
The devastating floods of June–August 2022 have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of 33 million people across Pakistan, mainly located in rural areas. The disaster struck rural communities amid growing economic and food security challenges, compounding their vulnerabilities and exhausting their resilience. The agriculture sector was the second most impacted economic sector. The total damages and losses in the agriculture sector amounted to approximately USD 12.9 billion, including damages to 1.7 million hectares of agricultural land and loss of 800 000 heads of livestock. Restoring the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and livestock keepers is urgent and time‑sensitive, to meet the upcoming Kharif cropping season (April–June) and to prevent further losses to livestock assets and production. These actions are necessary to address the needs and food insecurity of rural communities, in an efficient and cost effective manner.
Response to date (September 2022–February 2023)
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supported national efforts in conducting post-disaster needs assessments. For example, FAO supported government-led efforts in carrying out multisectoral rapid needs assessments in 35 flood-affected districts; and conducted a geospatial assessment of the damage to agricultural land in the affected areas.
• As part of the ongoing distributions of agricultural production inputs, the Organization distributed 2 517 tonnes of crop seeds, 23 tonnes of oil seeds, 5 465 tonnes of urea and 5 479 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) to 83 248 households before the Rabi season. The supported households are expected to produce approximately 128 890 tonnes of food, thanks to the provision of high‑quality seeds and inputs as well as the provision of technical support to the targeted communities.
• As part of the ongoing vaccination campaigns, 476 380 heads of livestock were vaccinated against major animal diseases (e.g. foot‑and‑mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants and lumpy skin disease), benefiting 35 026 households.