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New funding for WFP's operation in Yemen from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirates

Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pictured, left, with WFP Chief of Staff Rehan Asad. Photo: WFP
Rome – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a US$240 million contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support the food needs of vulnerable people in Yemen

In the Holy month of Ramadan, Yemen is facing critical shortages of food. The generous contribution will greatly help Yemenis follow their practices and traditions during this important time.

WFP plans to use this contribution to provide millions of families with monthly food rations of flour, pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and salt. In urban areas where the markets are still functioning, families will be given vouchers to purchase these rations through local traders, supporting the local economy as well.

US$10 million of the contribution will go towards WFP’s nutrition programme, which treats and prevents malnutrition among women and children.

”Support from the international community is vital to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in Yemen,” said WFP Chief of Staff Rehan Asad. “We extend our sincere gratitude to KSA and the UAE for helping our work in Yemen.”

The volatile situation in Yemen keeps millions of people trapped in a crippling cycle of food insecurity. Over 20 million people are hungry, struggling to support their families amid fighting, the collapse of the economy and struggling health services. WFP is scaling up to feed 12 million of the most vulnerable people, while accelerating programmes that enable people to rebuild their livelihoods so that Yemen can begin to recover.

 

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The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

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Topics

Saudi Arabia Yemen United Arab Emirates Funding

Contact

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

Zeina Habib, WFP/Gulf,

Mob: +971 52 4724971

Jane Howard, WFP/Rome

Tel. +39 06 6513 2321, Mob. +39 346 7600521

Francis Mwanza, WFP/London

Tel.  +44 (0)20 3857 7411

Mob. +44 (0)7968 008474

Challiss McDonough, WFP/Washington

Tel. +1-202-653-1149, Mob. +1-202-774-4026

Steve Taravella, WFP/New York

Tel. +1-646-556-6909, Mob.  +1-202-770-5993

Herve Verhoosel. WFP/Geneva

Mob. +41 798428057

Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel: +20 225281730, Mobile: +20 1066634352