Islamuddin Sajid
26 August 2021•Update: 26 August 2021
ISLAMABAD
The head of the UN World Food Program (WFP) met Pakistan’s prime minister on Thursday to discuss the humanitarian situation and relief efforts in Afghanistan.
David Beasley discussed with Imran Khan “ways of facilitating the continued provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people,” according to a statement by the Pakistani premier’s office.
The top WFP official expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s role in facilitating the organization’s work in Afghanistan, it added.
The duo also exchanged views on the “evolving situation in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
Khan reiterated the need for an “inclusive government and positive engagement of international community with Afghanistan,” stressing that it was critical to “avert any humanitarian crisis and secure peace and stability” in the war-weary country.
Hours earlier, Beasley said on Twitter that the WFP’s “damaged planes from Kabul have been repaired” and the organization “is now ready to establish a humanitarian air bridge between Islamabad-Kabul and other destinations in Afghanistan.”
“This will allow us to scale up to meet the needs of the Afghan people,” he said, thanking the Pakistani government for its assistance in the matter.
Beasley issued a warning just days ago of a looming food shortage in Afghanistan, urging the international community to step forward.
He said WFP warehouses “will be empty” by September, calling for immediate assistance of $200 million “to help calm the storm & bring hope to 14 million people across the country.”
“Our window to deliver before winter is closing FAST,” he said on Twitter.
