Korean Contribution To Improve Afghan Community Resilience Against Shocks
Kabul – The Government of the Republic of Korea announced a contribution of US$ 9 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support asset-creation projects to boost food security in Afghanistan. The donation was formalised in a signing ceremony in Rome attended by high-level representatives from the Government of Korea as well as senior WFP officials.
The contribution will be used over the next three years to restore community assets such as irrigation channels, floodwalls and feeder roads. In a country prone to recurring seasonal natural disasters such as drought and flood, these projects will help build food security as well as supporting the livelihoods of thousands of vulnerable Afghans in remote parts of the country.
”I would like to thank the Government of the Republic of Korea for this generous contribution, which comes at a timely moment as WFP plans to begin its new three-year programme in January 2014. This contribution will enable WFP to better assist the most vulnerable Afghans in food insecure areas by building community resilience to prevent and mitigate the impact of natural disasters,” said Claude Jibidar, WFP’s Representative and Country Director for Afghanistan.
The Republic of Korea recently committed another US$ 13 million to support soybean production in Afghanistan through WFP’s Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative. This donation will allow WFP to implement projects to help farmers improve agricultural productivity, while at the same time working to reduce malnutrition.
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WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Last year, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance.
WFP has been working in Afghanistan for 50 years with the aim of helping Afghans build a hunger-free future for themselves and their country. WFP food is distributed on the basis of need, without regard for ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. This year, WFP aims to reach some 2.4 million Afghans with food assistance.
In the new programme starting 2014, WFP activities will focus on emergency response and nutrition intervention to vulnerable populations including children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. The programme will assist 3.6 million people over 3 years with a budget of US$500 million.
Contact information:
Keiko Izushi, WFP/Kabul, Mob. +93 706004885, E-mail: Keiko.izushi@wfp.org
Wahidullah Amani, WFP/Kabul, Mob. +93706004884, E-mail; Wahidullah.amani@wfp.org
Fezeh Hosseini, WFP/Kabul, Mob. +93706004847, Fezeh.hosseini@wfp.org