ISLAMABAD: Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to view the World Food Program (WFP) projects in the country, confirmed the officials.
Shortly after her arrival, she visited the WFP office in Islamabad where she was "briefed about the health work carried by WFP especially stunting and nutrition issues in children," Mahira Afzal, communication officer for the WFP, told Arab News.
Princess Sarah is the special adviser to WFP on maternal and child health and nutrion. She is being hosted along with representatives of the Islamic Development Bank by the WFP in collaboration with the government of Pakistan.
During her visit, she will meet with high level government officials and view WFP projects. She will also interact with the media on Friday, Afzal said.
"HRH Princess Sarah will highlight the importance of scaling up nutrition with a special focus on children and women. She will visit a number of WFP-supported nutrition projects and see firsthand how WFP is supporting Pakistan’s government in addressing malnutrition, particularly stunting which affects 12 million, or two-thirds of children, in Pakistan," according to an official handout released by the WFP.
Earlier this year, one of the worst droughts in Pakistan’s history triggered “alarmingly high” levels of malnutrition and disease in the hardest hit areas in the country, the Red Cross reported. During the emergency, women, especially those pregnant or breastfeeding, and children were particularly vulnerable to diarrhea, vomiting and fever brought on by a lack of safe drinking water in the worst affected areas of southern Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
