DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Nearly half of children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s newly merged districts are suffering from stunted growth, highlighting the need for stronger nutrition and health interventions, the World Food Programme (WFP) told provincial health authorities on Monday.
A WFP delegation, led by its Pakistan Country Director and Representative Anita Hirsch, briefed Health Minister Khaliq Rehman on ongoing nutrition projects in the province, said a handout.
The statement said that the Health Secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah and senior officials of the health department were also present.
The delegation said the stunting rate among children in the merged districts stood at 48 per cent, compared to 40 per cent in other districts of KP.
It stressed the need for coordinated efforts to improve child nutrition, particularly in vulnerable areas.
The WFP officials said more than 1.4 million women and children in KP had benefited from the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP) since 2020. Under the programme, 163 nutrition facilitation centres have been established across the province, providing growth monitoring, vaccination awareness, conditional cash assistance, specialised nutritious food, micronutrient supplements and treatment for moderate and severe malnutrition.
KP accounts for 29.6 per cent of the total beneficiaries of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme across Pakistan, making it the third-largest province in terms of coverage.
The delegation informed the minister that six of the nine nutrition facilitation centres established in Khyber district were currently operational, while the remaining three had been completed and would start services soon.
The WFP also briefed the minister on its Integrated Climate Risk Management Project in Shangla and Buner, which focuses on strengthening community capacity to deal with climate-related challenges through training programmes.
Officials also shared details of the Girls Education Stipend Programme, under which 24,368 girls received stipends in 2025 and 15,203 in 2026. They said Rs321.193 million had been distributed as cash stipends in 2026. In addition, information booklets on nutrition and health were provided to 30,000 adolescent girls, while 488 teachers were trained on nutrition awareness and educational material.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Khaliq Rehman appreciated WFP’s support for nutrition, maternal and child health, girls’ education and development in underprivileged areas.
He said the KP government would further strengthen its partnership with WFP and continue providing support to achieve the shared goals of reducing malnutrition, improving child growth and protecting maternal and child health.
The minister added that the health department would expand nutrition services, especially in remote and newly merged districts, to ensure better healthcare and balanced nutrition facilities for mothers and children.
