Pakistan Floods: Update on Agriculture - No. 2, 10 August 2010

The 2010 monsoon season brought the heaviest rains ever recorded in Pakistan, triggering flash and riverine floods that have devastated large parts of the country. The floods left widespread destruction in northern Pakistan and are currently heading south causing severe losses in Punjab and Sindh provinces. According to Government estimates, the number of affected people stands at 13.8 million. At least 1 600 people have died and 290 000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. A total of 10 680 villages have been affected. Over 700 000 hectares of standing crops are under water or destroyed, affecting among the most fertile and productive lands of the country.

On 4 August 2010, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan requested the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to facilitate humanitarian assistance and coordination support in response to the floods in KPK. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the lead agency for the Agriculture Cluster, in close collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA) and the Department of Agriculture.

Over USD 5 million is being requested through the Pakistan Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan to kick-start the agriculture response and to support livestock through delivery of feed, veterinary services, de-worming tablets and mineral blocks. At the time of writing, USD 1.6 million is also being mobilized by FAO under an existing project funded by the European Union Food Facility to address immediate needs in anticipation of the upcoming planting season, reaching 25 000 households through the distribution of seeds and fertilizers.