World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Executive Directors of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) thanked the State of Kuwait this week for the "generous contributions" to assist the people of Somalia cope with the drought. In a letter to Kuwaiti Permanent Representative Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, WFP's Executive Dirctor Josette Sheeran expressed her "deep appreciation" for Kuwait's "generous contribution" of USD 250,000.

(..) Has the United Nations adjusted its tactics in light of the access problems? ANTONIA GUTERRES: There are different possibilities of access depending on the nature of the organizations. When food aid is essential, the World Food Program is crucial inside Somalia. But unfortunately, Shabab doesn't allow the World Food Program to operate in the areas controlled by it. And so the International Committee of the Red Cross has the capacity to deliver food assistance in some areas of south-central Somalia under Shabab control.

The long drought has lifted in southern and central Somalia, with fairly good rains now falling across much of those regions gripped by famine. (..) The dominant player in food deliveries - the World Food Programme - is still not able to access the worst regions, all controlled by al-Shabab.

The town of Dhobley, Somalia, sits at the gateway of hell. Just west of Dhobley is the border with Kenya, and the road to Dadaab, which hosts a giant complex of refugee camps; Dhobley has become the last stop in Somalia for a growing stream of desperate, starving people in flight from famine. In Dhobley, as well, drought has ruined crops and felled cows.

The seemingly ever-increasing number of piracy attacks in the Red Sea in the vicinity of Somalia may be about to do an about-turn, if the speech of a British minister is any indication.(..)"The EU Naval Force protects the Gulf of Aden and World Food Programme shipping.

While most people in the world know about the current famine in Africa, when a problem is hundreds or even thousands of miles away, it's easy to ignore it. But let's face the facts: (..). World Food Program: The World Food Program is planning to feed 7.9 million of the most vulnerable in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia and has identified an additional 2.2 million people in need in difficult-to-access areas of southern Somalia.

Sri Lanka has gifted 250 metric tonnes of rice to Somalia as domestic production increased, economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa said. (..) "Our paddy stores are now full," Rajapasksa said. "We have three seasons of harvests. Up to now we have got rice from the World Food Program to be given to refugees.

The United States is increasing food aid to drought-hit and strife-torn Horn of Africa nations where millions of people are at risk of starvation and malnutrition, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday. (..) "I am pleased to announce that we are providing an additional $100 million, primarily in food assistance, for drought-affected areas in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia," Clinton said in remarks prepared for delivery at a U.N. World Food Program awards ceremony.

Tens of thousands of Somalis have starved to death this year from drought and famine conditions, says the United Nations, bringing a new level of urgency to World Food Day activities held over the weekend. (..) Rene McGuffin, spokeswoman for the World Food Program in Washington, said the East Africa famine response has experienced no major delays.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday began the distribution of food assistance purchased using a 16 million U.S. dollars donation from China to hungry families in Somalia, WFP statement said.