Canada supports WFP Lebanon in expanding its reach to vulnerable families through a national social support scheme
BEIRUT – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) received a CAD10.5 (US$8.7) million contribution from the government of Canada to scale up food assistance to the most vulnerable Lebanese through a key national social support.
WFP aims to expand its support to reach 350,000 people per month through the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Lebanese families are struggling to make ends meet amidst an ongoing economic downturn with a collapsing currency and skyrocketing inflation.
Canada’s contribution also enables WFP to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs with a focus on gender mainstreaming in the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) operations. This includes researching women’s needs and concerns, and training social workers to better address women-related issues.
“The economic situation in Lebanon has pushed people to the edge. For most Lebanese families, every day has become a struggle,” says WFP Representative and Country Director in Lebanon Abdallah Alwardat. “We are very grateful for the people and Government of Canada for their support that will help us bring food to the tables of the most vulnerable who have become desperate.”
“Canada is committed to supporting the Lebanese people and to ensure that immediate assistance is delivered to provide access to food and preserve livelihoods for the most vulnerable in the face of the current crises,” says Chantal Chastenay, Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon.
Since 2014, together with the Ministry of Social Affairs, WFP with the support of generous donors has been the backbone of sustaining the food assistance component of the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP). WFP reached 167,000 people in May and has also repeatedly increased monthly cash assistance transfers to keep up with rising prices to 100,000 LBP for each member of a family that holds the NPTP e-card.
Canada has been supportive of WFP’s work in Lebanon for many years. This new contribution brings Canada’s total support towards WFP assistance for vulnerable people in Lebanon to CAD21.5 (US$17.5) million in 2021.
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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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