World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

In early September, WFP nutrition focal points and their government counterparts from 18 countries across West Africa gathered in Dakar for a four-day workshop. 
 

Pandemics and large-scale disasters pose specific challenges to humanitarian emergency operations, especially in urban areas. Through a recent one-week pandemic simulation, WFP aimed to prepare countries in West Africa to face these challenges so that they can better assist vulnerable populations.

From September to November 2010, Benin experienced some of the worst flooding it has seen in a century. WFP has been working since then to provide food assistance to those most affected by the floods and to help these populations resume their livelihood.

WFP has thanked Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for a generous €11.5 million contribution to development projects across the globe ranging from free school meals to nutritional support for people living with HIV and AIDS.

As crises across Africa continue to dominate the humanitarian agenda, WFP has warmly welcomed a contribution from Turkey of US$ 2 million, for its operations in eight countries where millions face daily food shortages due to drought, floods, disease or conflict.

The collapse of a bridge in northern Benin created a massive bottleneck in one of WFP's key supply lines for getting food aid into Niger, and presented a serious logistical challenge. But with a partnership-based approach and pure hard work, the problem was soon solved, as WFP spokesperson Marcus Prior reports.