Hyderabad: March 17, 2012. (By Abbas Kassar) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has distributed sunflower seed and fertilizers to help farmers resume crop production in four flood-affected districts of Sindh province.Fao is helping 115000 flood affected families in Sindh and Balochistan to restore their livelihood through crop production and livestock support. Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Thatta which were among the worst flood-affected districts – in some areas, flood waters took months to recede, leaving many farmers unable to plant wheat for Rabi 2011.UKaid Department for International Development mission led by Humanitarian Advisor Mr. Megnus Wolfe met beneficiaries and media at village Haji Jam Lashari near Rip Sharif union council Piru Lashari district Badin during their visit of flood affected villages. Villagers demanded seed and fertilizer for cultivation and also for construction of their homes that were devastated during the 2011 floods. FAO, with funding from the UKaid from the Department for International Development (UKaid) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) are providing 58, 000 households with a sunflower planting package through implementing partners National Rural Support Programme, Plan International and the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Welfare Society. Each package contains 2 kg of hybrid sunflower seed (Hysun 33) and 100 kg of fertilizers (50 kg urea; 50 kg diammonium phosphate) – sufficient to plant 1 acre. UN FAO Senior Emergency Coordinator Mr. Aryal Rajendra told media that FAO is working with the most vulnerable small land holders and sharecroppers in Sindh affected by the 2011 floods, with access to a minimum of one acre but no more than three acres of land. Many of these people were also affected by the massive 2010 floods. In addition to the sunflower packages, FAO is also distributing vegetable seeds for kitchen gardening to 23, 500 households under the UK aid-funded project, to help families access a more diversified and nutritious diet. Farming families will also receive training in coordination with Sindh Agriculture Departments on sunflower production technology, post-harvest good practices and establishing market linkages with the oil extraction and solvent industry to improve the marketing potential of their produce. In recent years, UN FAO has greatly expanded its presence and partnerships in Pakistan, with particular focus on building the resilience of communities to future disasters through contingency planning, detailed livelihood assessments and mapping their needs. UN FAO’s overall response to the 2011 floods is helping nearly 115, 000 families in Sindh and Balochistan to restore their food production and livelihoods through crop production and livestock support.