Princess Sarah Zeid, Shazia Marri visit Benazir Nashonuma Centre in Badin

Hyderabad: World Food Program’s (WFP) Special Advisor on Mother and Child Nutrition and Jordanian Princess Sarah Zeid on Monday visited the Benazir Nashonuma Centre here on Monday.

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Shazia Atta Marri, Dr Khalida Mandhro and Sindh Minister Muhammad Ismail Raho warmly welcomed the visiting dignitary upon her arrival at the centre in Old Civil Hospital.

Princess Sarah Zeid visited different sections of the centre and interacted with the mothers and children.

The doctors, lady health workers and other staff members gave a detailed briefing to the princess, and other representatives of the WFP.

Talking to media persons, Princess Sarah appreciated the efforts of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for addressing stunting in children and providing assistance to mothers in getting nutritious food for themselves and their children.

She lauded the performance of the staff, especially the lady health workers, saying that the programme was working well to ensure the supply of food to the mother and child.

She said the WFP was working with BISP to provide nutritional support to the mothers and their infants so that they could flourish with required food supplements.

Minister Shazia Marri thanked WFP and other aid agencies for helping BISP. She said the federal government had decided to disburse an amount of Rs 37.5 billion among the rain affected families to compensate the damages caused due to rain in the country, adding that Rs. 25 thousands will be distributed among each affected family.

Minister Shazia Marri thanked WFP and other aid agencies for helping BISP. She said the federal government had decided to disburse an amount of Rs 37.5 billion among the rain affected families to compensate the damages caused due to rain in the country, adding that Rs. 25 thousands will be distributed among each affected family.

Benazir Nashonuma Centres were set up in all four provinces, and in Sindh, one centre each in Badin and Dadu districts was functioning with the assistance of WFP, Shazia Marri said.

She announced that such centres would be established in other districts to extend nutritional support to maximum number of mothers and newborn babies.

Marri said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was committed to provide all possible assistance to the rain victims across the country, including Sindh and Balochistan, and in this regard, the amount of compensation would be increased further.

In response to a question, she said that complaints had been received about the alleged deductions in the BISP’s amounts received by the beneficiaries and vowed to take strict action against the responsible persons. She urged the media to play a role in identifying the persons involved in this dirty practice.

Sindh Minister Ismail Raho, Special Assistants to CM Sayed Riaz Hussain Shah, Pir Noorullah Qureshi, MPA Taj Muhammad Mallah, and Senator Dr Khalida Sikandar Mandhro were present on the occasion.

Later, Princess Sarah Zeid visited the BISP centre in Golarchi and interacted with the beneficiaries of the program.