U.S. Food Contribution Arrives In Sudan Ahead Of The Approaching Lean Season
KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a contribution of food commodities from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) valued at US$135 million to help WFP provide assistance in Sudan during the lean season.
The USAID food consists of lentils, oil and sorghum – a household staple in Sudan. The contribution is especially timely, coming ahead of the lean season, which starts in May, when food needs among the most vulnerable are typically at their highest.
“We are very grateful for the continued and unparalleled support of the people and Government of the United States, which enables us to meet the food needs of vulnerable and conflict-affected groups across Sudan,” said WFP Sudan Country Director Adnan Khan. “Amid continuing humanitarian needs in some regions, it is critical that the international community reinforces its commitments to the needy in Sudan.
The U.S. contribution will help WFP support food-insecure people across Sudan, including 1.8 million internally displaced people in Darfur. It will also support, for a six-month period, more than half a million school children in Darfur and around 262,000 in central and eastern Sudan through WFP’s school feeding programme.
“The steadfast partnership between USAID and WFP has saved countless lives in Sudan over the years,” said Jerry P. Lanier, the United States Chargé d’Affaires to Sudan. “The United States aims to support food security by alleviating hunger, promoting improved nutrition and supporting school feeding programmes. On behalf of the American people, I would like to thank WFP for its efforts in Sudan.”
The U.S.A. is the single largest donor to WFP Sudan having contributed some US$626 million towards its emergency operation since separation with the South in 2011. In the same period, the U.S.A. has also contributed US$19.8 million towards the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service in Sudan, which is managed by WFP on behalf of the whole humanitarian community.
In 2015, WFP plans to assist 3.7 million people across Sudan through direct food assistance, cash vouchers and nutrition programmes, as well as recovery and resilience-building activities that help communities to become self-reliant. This includes 2.8 million people in the conflict-affected region of Darfur and close to one million vulnerable people in the Central, Eastern and Three Areas, including South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
WFP’s work in Sudan began in 1963 in Wadi Halfa where, in order to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam in neighbouring Egypt, 50,000 Nubians had to be re-settled 1,300 kms further south. In 2004, WFP launched its emergency operation in Darfur to respond to the needs of those displaced and affected by the conflict in this region.
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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Amor Almagro, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2114), Mob. +249 912174853
Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055