UK supports food needs of vulnerable Afghans
Department for International Development to help WFP provide emergency food to 535,000 people
The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has committed 10 million British Pounds (over 15 million US dollars) to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan.
The donation will enable WFP to reach up to 535,000 people with 17,000 metric tons of food, including wheat and wheat flour, pulses such as split peas and salt. This food will be distributed in emergencies to victims of conflict and natural disasters, as well as helping WFP implement projects to prevent and treat acute malnutrition. Distribution is already underway in parts of Kandahar and Mazar.
DFID Afghanistan Head of Office, Mark Mallalieu, on a visit to the distribution centre in Kabul said:
“This programme will provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable and acutely malnourished people in the country, in communities where food security is uncertain.
“Ending hunger and undernutrition will go hand in hand with the work DFID, and the international community, is doing to support the self-sufficient long-term future of Afghanistan.”
“The humanitarian needs in Afghanistan remain enormous,” explained WFP Deputy Country Director John Prout. “One-third of the population is food-insecure, and about two out of three children under the age of five are stunted due to malnutrition. Conflict and natural disasters exacerbate the situation for people living on the threshold of acute malnutrition. This donation is helping WFP to respond to urgent needs where it matters most.”
The donation comes in the context of the UK’s renewed commitment to addressing global hunger, a topic which will be discussed at the G8 summit in the UK.
Notes to editors
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.
WFP has been working in Afghanistan since 1963 with the aim of helping Afghans build a hunger-free future for themselves and their country. WFP food is distributed on the basis of need, without regard for ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. This year, WFP aims to reach some 2.4 million Afghans with food assistance.
WFP Afghanistan operates a feedback hotline number and welcomes comments, complaints and feedback regarding the distribution of WFP food assistance. Please call: 0790-555-544.
About DFID
The UK Department for International Development works closely with the international community and other partners to support the development of Afghan security, governance, infrastructure, economy and the provision of essential services.
For further information please contact
Silke Buhr, WFP/Kabul, +93(0)706-004-882, silke.buhr@wfp.org
Wahidullah Amani, WFP/Kabul, +93(0)706-004-884, wahidullah.amani@wfp.org
Emily Poyser, DFID Afghanistan, +93(0)796-091-956, e-poyser@dfid.gov.uk
Emal Maqsood, British Embassy Kabul, +93(0)700-379-741 emal.maqsood@fco.gov.uk
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