Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri has asked the parliamentarians to work in solidarity to fight climate challenges and the ensuing crises.

"Our parliaments must continue to strategise ways to become climate resilient and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change", she said addressing a seminar for Asia Pacific Region Parliaments on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was arranged by National Assembly of Pakistan and Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services.

The minister said Pakistan was confronted by many challenges including the recent unprecedented rainfalls which resulted in catastrophic floods and displaced more than 33 million people. At least  1,347 people had died as a result of this catastrophe, she added.

Shazia, who is also Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), said despite unusual circumstances, BISP had so far disbursed over Rs 24 billion to flood-affected families in a short span of time.

She said BISP is the largest social protection programme in the country and focuses on building the human capital of the most vulnerable segments of the society by investing in their education, health and nutrition.

Through the Conditional Cash Transfer programme in the field of education, BISP was helping children of vulnerable families to complete their education, focusing more on girls’ education through higher incentives to reduce the gender enrolment gap, she added.

Shazia said that over 40% of children are stunted in Pakistan. To prevent stunting and promote dietary diversity during the first 1000 days, BISP is implementing Benazir Nashonama - a Conditional Cash Transfer programme to improve health and nutrition in the country.

She said that specialized nutritious food is provided along with immunization and awareness sessions to prevent stunting in future generations. 

The seminar also focussed on understanding how hunger was impacting different segments of society and deliberated on strategies and best practices used the world over to overcome hunger and malnutrition on a priority basis.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk