QUETTA: A United Nations mission team has assured all assistance to the Balochistan government in its efforts to cope with drought-like situation in 20 districts of the province.

A UN delegation, headed by Markus Werna, met Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Wednesday.

The UN delegation comprised officials from the World Food Programme, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation and members of SPARCO Pakistan.

Provincial ministers Zahoor Buledi, Mir Ziaullah Langove, Mir Naseebullah Marri and officials of the departments concerned were also present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed efforts to minimise the effects of drought in Balochistan and to provide immediate relief and assistance to the people living in the drought-stricken areas.

Director General of the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Balochistan, Imran Zarkoon, briefed the delegation on the drought situation in the province, including relief and rescue operations.

During the meeting, the UN delegation assured its assistance to tackle malnutrition in the affected areas and shared its plan to start a nourishment programme in the province.

The meeting agreed to launch short-term, mid-term and long-term programmes in Balochistan that would be completed with the support of the UN and its sub-organisations and donor agencies.

“Lack of rains in the last 10 years caused the drought situation in Balochistan which affected agriculture and livestock sector of an already impoverished province where people are living in poverty,” CM Alyani told the delegation, adding that the provincial government required funding to provide basic facilities in the remote areas of the country’s largest province.

The provincial government assured full cooperation and complete access to the UN organisations and donor agencies for their assessment in drought-hit areas and decided to facilitate the international agencies on the one-window operation.

Mr Alyani said the drought had depleted the water level rapidly in Balochistan and, therefore, the government had been focusing on building new dams for water storage.

“The government of Balochistan has been focusing on climate change and preparing safety measures to save the province from its effects,” he said.

The chief minister said his government was committed to introduce good governance in the province.

He said the government had established a food security department.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2019