ISLAMABAD: Pakistan seeks to enhance cooperation with the UAE to address food security issues, the Ministry of National Food Security said on Wednesday.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected food security in developing countries such as Pakistan due to rising food prices and periods of price volatility. Around 30 percent of Pakistan’s population — over 60 million people — is facing food insecurity.
The most vulnerable groups include daily wage workers, refugees, and people living in drought-hit areas.
Food Security Minister Syed Fakhar Imam discussed ways to address the problem with UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi during a meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday.
“Fakhar Imam and Ambassador of United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan His Excellency Hamad Obaid Alzaabi agreed to increase collaboration between the Food Ministries of the two countries in order to eradicate hunger,” the Pakistani Ministry of National Food Security said in a statement.
“Syed Fakhar Imam acknowledged the effective measures taken by the UAE to address the issue of food security. He expressed his desire to further enhance cooperation between Pakistan and UAE, especially with respect to food security, in the strenuous Covid-19 circumstances.”
The UAE ambassador expressed his country’s willingness to “play its part in resolving the issue” and that Pakistan’s agro processing sector can be attractive and “yield high return” for foreign investors.
Home to 1.6 million Pakistani expats, the UAE is Islamabad’s key development and trading partner in the Middle East and a major source of investments and foreign remittances
