ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Food & Agriculture Mir Israr Ullah Zehri has appreciated the role of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in reducing hunger and malnutrition and ensuring food security globally. He stated this on Thursday during a meeting with Laurent Thomas, Director TCE who is heading the emergency operations and Rehabilitation Division in FAO. Federal Minister informed that the agriculture sector that contributes 21 per cent share in national GDP and provides employment to about 45 per cent labour force has suffered huge losses during the recent floods. Twenty million people were affected by floods and standing crops on 2.364 million hectors of land were destroyed. The loss in monetary terms to the agriculture sector is estimated $4.5 billions approximately, said the minister. He appreciated FAOs rapid response in providing early relief to the people of flood affected areas. Mir Israrullah Zehri thanked the director to extend assistance around $91 million for Rabi crop 2010-11 in the flood affected areas.