Yemen Deputy Prime Minister Assures WFP Of Government Support “At This Critical Time”
SANA’A – The Deputy Prime Minister of Yemen, Abdullah Mohsen Al-Akwa, has pledged continuing government support for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), stressing that cooperation with the international humanitarian community was all the more important at “this critical time for Yemen”.
The Deputy Prime Minister made his assurance during a meeting last Thursday with Mohamed Diab, WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who was in Yemen last week to familiarize himself with the latest developments in the country and their impact on WFP operations.
“We have been working with WFP in Yemen for more than 47 years,” Al-Akwa said. “We know each other very well. But at this critical time, our cooperation needs to be bigger and wider than ever before.” He said the Government would do all it could to remove any obstacles to WFP operations in Yemen.
Diab said it was crucial to WFP’s reputation that the right food reached the right people in the right locations. “At these very difficult times, when there is a likelihood of even more marginalized people falling over the brink, when our funding needs are even greater, we have to maintain donor confidence and support, by extending much-needed assistance to highly food insecure people,” he said.
Earlier, Diab was received by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohamed Saeed Al-Sa’adi, who also gave an assurance that his ministry would take steps to eliminate impediments and delays to WFP food imports and deliveries, to ensure that crucial food assistance reaches its destination on time.
During his visit, Diab also had talks with Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ali Muthana, as well as meetings with USAID Yemen Director Herbie Smith, the Embassy of Japan and United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Johannes van der Klaauw. On Wednesday, he flew to Aden for briefings on WFP operations in the south of Yemen.
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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Fares Khoailed, WFP/Sana’a, Mob +967 735020663
Robin Lodge, WFP/Sana’a, Mob +967 738611778