Quetta: The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the Balochistan Assembly held a high-level consultative dialogue with the World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan on food security, nutrition, and maternal and child health.
The session was chaired by Deputy Speaker and WPC Chairperson Ghazala Gola. Participants included MNA Akhtar Bibi, Pullain Baloch, MPAs Shahida Rauf and Salma Kakar, Assembly Secretary Tahir Shah Kakar, WFP Country Director Anita Hirsch, and WFP Balochistan Head Dr. Faria Ahsan, along with other officials.
Welcoming the WFP delegation on their first official visit to Quetta, Ghazala Gola termed the consultative session timely and important. Discussions focused on food insecurity, maternal and child nutrition, and strengthening social protection programs with parliamentary support.
WFP briefed participants on the School Meals Programme, currently piloted in Quetta, with plans to expand to seven more districts. Funding is shared equally between the Government of Balochistan and WFP. Statistics showed that from March 2024 to July 2026, female student enrollment in participating schools rose from 10,907 to 14,635-a 34% increase while average attendance reached 81.4 percent.
Parliamentarians emphasized the need to expand such initiatives across the province, ensuring inclusivity and parliamentary oversight. WFP representatives stressed the importance of raising awareness to sustain the program’s success.
Anita Hirsch highlighted that women’s health is the nation’s health, reaffirming WFP’s commitment to work with the provincial government and parliament to improve food security and nutrition.
The session concluded with consensus on strengthening collaboration between parliament, government, and WFP to address food insecurity, prevent child malnutrition, and improve school attendance.