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Attack on World Food Programme field mission in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of three people killed, today, in an attack on a delegation travelling on a field visit in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A number of other passengers travelling with the delegation sustained injuries during the attack.

The three fatalities have been identified as the Italian Ambassador to DRC, Luca Attanasio, an Italian embassy official, and a WFP driver.

The delegation was travelling from Goma to visit a WFP school feeding programme in Rutshuru when the incident took place. 

WFP will work with national authorities to determine the details behind the attack, which occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts.

WFP is in close contact with the Italian authorities through its offices at its Rome headquarters and in the DRC.

 

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

 

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Contact

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Frances Kennedy, WFP/ Rome,

Tel. +39 06 6513 3725, Mob. +39 346 7600 806



Tomson Phiri, WFP/ Geneva,

Mob. +41 79 842 8057

Jane Howard, WFP/ London,

Tel. +44 (0)20 3857 7413, Mob. +44 (0)796 8008 474



Shelley Thakral WFP/ Johannesburg

Mob. +27829081417



Shaza Moghraby, WFP/New York,

Mob. + 1 929 289 9867



Steve Taravella, WFP/ Washington,

Mob.  +1 202 770 5993