Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) and Community World Service Asia (CWSA) Pakistan are partnering on a agriculture and livelihoods project in Sindh, Pakistan.
The region is suffering from an alarming prevalence of food insecurity, exacerbated by recurrent severe droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, and limited access to agricultural resources. Unprecedented changes in the climate have killed livestock and drastically reduced production of major cash crops like rice, maize, sugarcane, cotton, pulses, and fruit. In turn, the production of winter crops (e.g., wheat) has been reduced by flooding. Additionally, increased prices of agricultural and livestock inputs have further hampered food production.
In 2023, approximately 5.75 million people, constituting 30% of the rural population, experienced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). There are alarming rates of malnutrition among vulnerable populations in Umerkot, with 42% of children under five years old suffering from stunting, while 22% are experiencing wasting due to acute malnutrition and 33% of women of reproductive age are experiencing malnutrition.
CWSA will support drought affected, food insecure and agriculture dependent households in Umerkot district, Pakistan, who are extremely vulnerable (IPC 4). Project participants will be provided with training on Climate Smart agriculture practices; supporting tree-planting campaigns; providing inputs for income generating activities; training on kitchen gardens, livestock management and value-added products; veterinary services and troughs for animals; and nutrition, health and hygiene training. In addition, 300 pregnant and/or breast-feeding women will receive three monthly nutrition supplement rations over the next three years.
The project will work with 1,200 participants (600 households) and benefit 4,374 individuals.