World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Severe “food insecurity” in Ethiopia has put an estimated 4.8 million people at risk (..). “The current situation is far from qualifying as a famine as some media outlets have stated but there is severe food insecurity in certain areas,” says Judith Schuler of the World Food Programme. “We expect a deterioration of the situation within the next six months.”

The latest World Food Programme (WFP) weekly report revealed that the unseasonal rains are benefiting recovery of range lands, water sources and development of late planted crops such as chickpea, haricot beans, sweet potatoes in some parts of SNNP, Oromia, Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions.

WFP’s first Asian corporate partner, LG Electronics, supports WFP’s work in Ethiopia via a number of communities called “LGE Hope Villages”. In these villages LGE funding is helping nearly 3,000 families (14,500 people) increase their food security and resilience to climatic change.(..)LGE executives met with WFP’s Executive Director Josette Sheeran at the sidelines of the COP 15 Climate Change Conference in December to affirm its continued support for the MERET programme in Ethiopia.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that farmers engaged in natural resource conservation in northern Ethiopia have managed to improve their livelihoods. According to a WFP report on its website, http://www.friendsofwfp.org/site/, the farmers, who are taking part in the Managing Environmental Resources to Enable Transition (MERET) project, have been leading improved livelihoods.

Development partners and prominent personalities have lauded activities Ethiopia has been carrying out for over two decades in the effort to mitigate climate change. At a side event organized at the Copenhagen Climate Change conference Presided over by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Wednesday, (..) Word Food Programme (WFP) Executive Secretary Josette Sheeran (..) acclaimed the community-based environment rehabilitation project which is also known as Meret (meaning land).

The World Food Programme recently received a donation of 14.5 million USD from the European Commission through the Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) to support the efforts of the government of Ethiopia and WFP to provide emergency food assistance in the country.

Before departing today from a five-day trip to Ethiopia, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, Ertharin Cousin announced an additional contribution of $ 70 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to assist the emergency caseload for relief beneficiaries in this country. The contribution is provided from the American people through the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID). WFP will facilitate management of the food contribution.

As the sun sets and the prayer calls ring out, I wrap up the day in Jijiga, Ethiopia, just 65 kilometers from the border with Somalia.(..)In terms of clear measurable impact, the most impressive program I learned about in detail today was the World Food Program’s (WFP) Hubs and Spokes delivery system. It is a shining example of successful partnerships that the UN nurtures with the local community.

Arriving in Ethiopia is like meeting an old friend. Two and a half years ago, I took the country into my heart. Now I’m back in the rocky highlands of Tigray up in the North. I want to see what became of the projects I’ve been collecting funds for since my first visit.

Bob Geldof sat uncomfortably in a vast field of igneous rocks scattered apparently at random among the sere grass.(..)The World Food Programme says 14 million will need feeding – and warns that the rich world is once again dragging its feet. Its stocks are so low it has cut rations from 15 kilos of cereal per person per month to just 10.