DFID, FAO to provide APS1m more to fight locust upsurge.

Byline: Amin Ahmed

ISLAMABAD -- The UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations virtually signed on Sunday an amendment agreement regarding the project 'Building Disaster Resilience in Pakistan' for an additional allocation of APS1m to continue efforts to contain desert locust upsurge in parts of the country.

The British government approved the assistance on Saturday, under which, the FAO will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Department of Plant Protection, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) to build capacities of the relevant government departments and local farming communities living in locust-prone and affected areas.

The activities supported by DFID will help strengthen the government and farmers' capacities in surveillance and monitoring of the locust, for identification of the threat and evaluation of risk for informed decisions and to combat desert locust infestation and improve locust management in Pakistan.

The agreement was virtually signed by the head of DFID in Pakistan, Anabel Gerry, and the FAO representative in Pakistan, Mina Dowlatchahi.

Speaking on the occasion, the DFID Pakistan head stated that DFID was proud of supporting Pakistan in these testing times with...