Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, on the severe floods and monsoon weather conditions in Pakistan

Rome – Director-General QU Dongyu met today with Jauhar Saleem, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, for a working meeting to discuss the ongoing, severe monsoon weather conditions since mid-June 2022 that have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of 33 million people in Pakistan, mainly located in rural areas.

The Ambassador highlighted that the floods have severely affected agricultural lands, livestock assets, forests and critical agricultural infrastructure in Pakistan.

He also recalled FAO’s strong support to his country during the floods of 2010, noting that the current scale of the floods is more serious and widespread than those twelve years ago, and in that regard, expressed his hope for FAO’s ongoing support to address the current situation and assist those most vulnerable.

The Director-General affirmed that FAO would continue its support to the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in addressing the effects of the floods on the agriculture sectors.

In particular, it was noted that FAO’s planned emergency response would target livestock vaccination, distribution of animal feed, and the distribution of agricultural production inputs for the upcoming Rabi season, among other areas of support.