World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

From WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin

ROME – In 2003, the world mourned when 22 people lost their lives in an attack on the United Nations office in Baghdad, Iraq. Ten years later, we still mourn all too often for humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty. Many more are injured, detained, kidnapped, traumatized and otherwise prevented from carrying out their life-saving work.

Over 240 delegates from 37 countries are coming together in Costa do Sauípe, Brazil, to exchange experiences and debate options for developing sustainable national school feeding programmes in the Global Child Nutrition Forum 2013. It is the 15th edition of the meeting and it’s the first time that it occurs outside Africa or the United States. The Forum opens this Monday, 20 May, and will conclude on 24 May.

PANAMA CITY –Latin America and the Caribbean countries have made significant progress in tackling hunger and malnutrition, reducing the number of hungry by 16 million over a decade, but much work still remains to be done, said the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin.

TEGUCIGALPA – The National Systems of Risk Management from Central American countries today began a series of simulation exercises to respond to emergencies and disasters in order to help strengthen their coordination processes and joint operation of humanitarian assistance for affected populations. These processes anticipate the participation of government institutions and national and international humanitarian actors.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it will provide technical support to the Government of Mexico’s efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition through its newly created “National Crusade against Hunger”.

BOGOTA– The UN World Food Programme (WFP), the Government of the Department of Risaralda and the Autonomous Regional Corporation of Risaralda (CARDER) signed today an agreement to establish a centre of knowledge and innovation where the population can learn and debate issues related to climate change and its repercussions to the environment and to the food and nutritional security of the people of Risaralda.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the National Agency for the Overcoming of Extreme Poverty (ANSPE, in Spanish) decided to unite forces to strengthen the National Strategy for Overcoming Extreme Poverty in Colombia, in terms of Food and Nutritional Security.

The Centre of Excellence, located in the capital city of Brasilia, will assist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by drawing upon the expertise of WFP and Brazil in the fight against hunger, while promoting sustainable school feeding models and other food and nutrition safety nets from across the world.

BOGOTA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it will assist 31,000 people affected by the worst rainy season recorded in recent decades.  Heavy rain has affected more than half of the territory and 28 of the 32 departments of the country.

WFP and the Colombian Government have agreed to implement a US$157-million joint operation to provide food and other humanitarian assistance to more than 530,000 displaced people annually in the country over the next three years.