ISLAMABAD: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has built a Humanitarian Response Facility (HRF) at a cost of $3.5 million covering an area of more than 28,300 square metres in Jalozai to help the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government serve the communities in need.

The HRF, recently handed over to the KP government, features four large warehouses for general cargo and two smaller, climate-controlled warehouses for more sensitive items such as medicines and ready-to-use foods, as well as office space and staff facilities.

There is enough covered storage space for 88,000 bags, each weighing 50kg, and over three times as much open storage space.

Also read: UN humanitarian response facility in Lahore

According to WFP Pakistan Representative Lola Castro here on Sunday, this is the fifth HRF in the country.

The WFP, the government of Pakistan and international donors have been working together since 2013 to establish a network of humanitarian hubs in eight strategic locations across the country, as part of broader emergency preparedness activities.

The relief hubs will allow disaster management authorities in Pakistan to respond more swiftly and efficiently to a sudden emergency. Hubs have already been inaugurated in Quetta, Muzaffargarh, Lahore and Hyderabad.

“The effects of global climate change resulting in unpredictable weather patterns and extreme climatic conditions have also impacted Pakistan. Women and children are especially vulnerable in the face of disaster,” said Lola Castro. “Therefore enhanced preparedness and management of disasters is becoming increasingly important, particularly in saving lives and protecting livelihoods.”

“In Pakistan, it is the priority of both the government and of WPF to ensure that we have all the skills and tools we need to save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies, and WFP is proud to partner with the government on this important initiative,” the WFP official said.

The government of Pakistan has provided land to the WFP to build the humanitarian facilities in eight of the country’s most disaster-prone areas.

The government is responsible for the management and staffing of the facilities.

The WFP provides training for staff in managing the facilities, as well as in humanitarian supply chain and emergency response.

The project is being implemented in coordination with national and provincial disaster management authorities, with generous funding provided by Japan, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United States.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

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