World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

PANAMA CITY – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food assistance among small coffee producers, seasonal workers and their families in Central America, who have been affected by the current epidemic of Coffee Rust, a fungal disease that destroys the leaves of coffee plants, lowering yields, diminish fruit quality and sometimes devastating entire plantations.

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.

SAN JERONIMO, COMAYAGUA- The President of the Republic a.i., Antonieta de Bográn, the President of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Howard G. Buffett, WFP Representative in Honduras, Miguel Barreto, and Laurant Sillano of the European Union opened a modern grain processing plant that will benefit small holder farmers in the departments of Comayagua and Intibuca.

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”.

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.

PANAMA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) together with the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have distributed urgently needed food rations to more than 70,000 people severely affected by Tropical Depression 12E, but continuing bad weather and damage to roads and infrastructure are hampering efforts to reach isolated communities.

Tropical Storm Agatha in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that left 180 people dead, thousands homeless and caused immeasurable damage, was a cruel reminder of the vulnerability of Central America as we head in to the hurricane season.