Pakistan 'significantly Affected' By Locust Attacks; Needs More Funds: UN

UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jun, 2020 ) ::Farmers in Pakistan have been "significantly affected" by the desert locust attacks, a U.N. spokesman said Monday, warning that further damage was expected at the end of the summer.

Responding to a question at the regular noon briefing, Deputy Spokesman Farhan Aziz Haq said the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was providing technical advice and support to the Pakistani government for locust surveillance and control.

"FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP), together with our partners and in coordination with the Government, will assess needs in the worst-hit districts, which have also experienced other problems over the past 18 months, including drought, flash flooding, a cold wave and COVID-19," Farhan Haq said.

Pakistan, he said, needs $372 million over the coming three years in additional funding to survey, control and recover from the locust damage.

"More than three million people in Pakistan are facing severe acute food insecurity, with the situation particularly precarious in Balochistan," the spokesman added.

On February 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan declared a national emergency and since then, the government machinery has been in motion to counter the challenge.