Overview

Pakistan’s stability is crucial to human development, economic growth and regional security. Pakistan's Pakistan 2025: One Nation – One Vision policy links peace, security, and stability approaches with development interventions.

The focus of Australia’s support for stability is on humanitarian relief and livelihood support, addressing gender inequality and improving governance—including water systems governance—to contribute to long-term stability in the region. Australia has typically prioritised its support to Pakistan’s insecure border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan to support Afghan refugees and host communities. These areas are also among the most disadvantaged in Pakistan. WFP’s flood response has prioritised areas most affected by floods which included Sindh and Punjab.

While Australia’s bilateral aid funding to Pakistan ceased in 2019-20, some activities continue with existing funding along with regional and global programs, and other Australian Government agencies’ investments. Only programs current as at January 2023 are listed below.

World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan

In partnership with WFP Pakistan, Australia is providing financial support and food assistance to flood-affected people, Afghan refugees and their host communities, to provide relief and prevent starvation and stunting. WFP works in collaboration with donors, other UN agencies, non-government organisations and the Government of Pakistan to respond to drought, displacement, and widespread malnutrition. WFP provides emergency food relief, livelihood support, school feeding, community administered malnutrition programs, and supports disaster preparedness.

Additional information can be found on the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Pakistan website.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Pakistan

In partnership with UNFPA Pakistan, Australia has provided $10.7 million over six years (2018 – 2024) to improve access to reproductive health and protection services for women and girls from refugee, returnee and host communities in KP and Balochistan Provinces. The protracted humanitarian crisis in these border regions of Pakistan is a complex and dynamic in character. Populations tend to be mobile, and health service provision has been in transition to government management after the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) merged with KP.

Additional information about UNFPA Pakistan’s work can be found on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Pakistan website.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Pakistan

Australia contributed $6 million to the UNHCR Afghanistan Situation Regional Refugee Response Plan 2022, including for humanitarian activities in Pakistan.

Additional information about UNHCR Pakistan’s work can be found on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Pakistan website.

Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and Balochistan

This World Bank-administered MDTF was formed in August 2010 at the request of the Government of Pakistan and development partner countries to respond to crisis in border areas with Afghanistan. The Australian Government has provided $56.3 million from 2010-2022 to support recovery through reconstruction and development: restoring infrastructure, improving local and provincial services and institutions, and livelihoods, while working to address governance and other challenges that contributed to the crisis. The World Bank has granted a 12 months no-cost extension to MDTF, and it will continue to generate results from Australia’s contribution until December 2023.

Further information on the World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and Balochistan is available online, including reporting dating back to 2010.

Water and food security

Water security is a challenge shared by Australia and Pakistan. Similarities between the Murray Darling basin and the Indus river basin have long provided a foundation for technical cooperation, including more recently through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Over the next four years, the Australian Government will invest up to $10 million to share our expertise in building water-sensitive cities with Pakistan. Australian and Pakistani experts from the public and private sectors will work together using the latest tools, techniques and technologies of urban water management.

Australia will also provide expertise through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to help Pakistan’s farming households lift production with less use of water and pesticides. Already some 15 Australian Universities are collaborating with 30 Pakistani academic or government partners on agriculture.

Further information can be found here, about ACIAR’s work in Pakistan.