ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: United Nations Food Security Cluster on Thursday emphasised that continued financial assistance to the households should be provided in the 28 worst flood-affected districts in Pakistan.

The Cluster put forward this observation in its detailed study launched on livelihood recovery after 2010 floods.

The report emphasised that the women in the flood-affected areas should the main focus of the financial assistance as the recovery of livestock should also be in the limelight in this regard.

Spread over 100 pages, Detailed Livelihood Assessment (DLA) of the severely flood-affected districts (from 2010) provided insight into the recovery of flood-affected households and the impact of assistance received by them from August 2010 till July 2011.

The report provided detailed statistics down to the district level on the effectiveness of interventions to support livelihoods and food security.

The assessment advised continued assistance to vulnerable females (and female-headed households) and provision of agricultural inputs and services to farmers and more predictable and greater financial assistance.

On the occasion, the speakers described how Detailed Livelihood Assessment was a path-breaking, detail-oriented report which provided deep insights into the state of 2010 flood-affected households after one year of the disaster.

It made a mention of in-depth and timely coverage by the government's Watan card payment scheme, a remarkably high incurrence of debt to pay for food consumption (equal to almost nine times of monthly income in Balochistan) and a dire need to restore livestock to help families have dependable source of income.

It pointed out how the females (and female-headed households) remained disadvantaged when compared with the males (and male-headed households) and possessed less financial capital than men despite their tendency to take on less debt.

Country Representative for the Food and Agriculture Organisation Kevin Gallagher while speaking during the launch said: “Wide arrays of humanitarian partners have collaborated to produce this crucial piece of research. For the first time, it gives district-level statistics for recovery in 2010 flood-affected areas.”

“We hope policy-makers and humanitarian actors find it useful as they help flood-affected households recover from the immense losses they have suffered – two years in a row, in certain districts,” he added.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Dr Zafar Qadir said: “We should move from a dependency syndrome to a resilient nation.” He appreciated UN joint contribution for food security to strengthen flood-affected communities by developing resilience.