Pakistan, UNWFP eye expansion of joint anti-poverty, nutrition programs

August 6, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) are exploring deeper collaboration to expand joint initiatives in nutrition, education, and poverty alleviation.

The development followed a high-level meeting in Islamabad between Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmed Shah and UNWFP Country Director Coco Ushiyama.

The two sides reviewed the impact of the UNWFP’s School Meals Programme, citing marked improvements in school attendance, attention spans and enrollment rates with some areas reporting increases of up to 45%.

The Minister described the initiative as a critical tool for supporting the human development of underprivileged children.

Discussions also highlighted the BISP Nashonuma Programme, the Ministry’s key initiative to address stunting, malnutrition and poor cognitive development.

Ushiyama reaffirmed UNWFP’s support referencing global research linking malnutrition with impaired learning capacity and calling for increased nutrition-focused interventions.

UNWFP expressed interest in expanding the School Meals Programme at both federal and provincial levels and proposed new research partnerships with universities.

The Minister welcomed the proposal and emphasized the need for coordinated development in underserved areas particularly in Balochistan.

Last week, the Minister declared 500 scholarships for youth in Balochistan ,400 for women including 200 at the province’s only women’s university.

He also stressed the importance of skills development and job creation for youth, a vision supported by UNWFP through the launch of its “Innovation Fund” to promote climate-resilient entrepreneurship.

Ushiyama reaffirmed UNWFP’s emergency response capabilities, recalling the agency’s support during the 2022 floods and praising the Ministry’s efforts to build community resilience.

As part of continued national outreach the Minister plans upcoming visits to Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan, following earlier engagements in Peshawar and Balochistan to assess ongoing poverty alleviation initiatives and enhance inter-provincial coordination.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to backing any initiative aimed at empowering the country’s most marginalized populations.

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