ReliefWeb

In Numbers

300,000 people are estimated to be in need of food assistance in the 9 districts covered by the joint rapid needs assessment

11,000 households (71,500 people) planned to be assisted by WFP

8,506 households (77 percent of households targeted) assisted by WFP as of 21 September

Highlights

• The scale of damage and humanitarian needs caused by the floods have been significantly underreported in local and international media.

• WFP started emergency food distributions on 8 September with its partners ACTED and HANDS.

• Distributions in Malir (Karachi) and Umerkot districts have been completed. Distributions in Mirpur Khas and Sanghar are expected to be completed by 25 September.

WFP Funding Requirements

US$500,000 is needed to cover the costs of this emergency response and replenish the food stocks borrowed from other WFP operations.

Situation Update

• The situation in rural areas is extremely worrying, both in terms of immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term impacts on livelihoods, food security and nutrition. While rains have stopped, many areas remain flooded and stagnant water is posing major health, nutrition and shelter issues.

• Thousands of families displaced by the floods are still living by the side of the road, with little chance of returning home for at least another month and no employment opportunities in view given large-scale crop and livestock losses.

• On 12 September, Sindh Chief Minister requested additional humanitarian assistance from the UN.

• On 17-18 September, the UN Resident Coordinator and WFP Country Director visited a WFP food distribution and a UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) distribution in Mirpur Khas district. They met with the Mirpur Khas Commissioner, the Sindh Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Sindh Chief Secretary, who expressed appreciation for WFP’s fast response.

• At the request of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), UN and NGO partners are preparing to carry out a multisectoral needs assessment to inform mediumterm recovery needs, covering the 30 mostaffected districts across the country. This new assessment will complement the rapid joint needs assessment carried out during the first week of September.

WFP Response

• WFP had initially planned to assist 9,656 households in four districts. A week into the distributions, despite limited resources, WFP included an additional 1,344 households who urgently needed food assistance in two of the targeted districts, bringing the total number of targeted households to 11,000.

• All distributions are expected to be completed by 25 September.

• Subject to new financial contributions, WFP is ready to continue and scale up food assistance to the most affected.