The United Arab Emirates Supports WFP In Fighting Hunger In Yemen

Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, and WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin signed an agreement on Thursday on the side lines of UN General Assembly meetings in New York. 

WFP will use the UAE contribution to buy 7,000 metric tons of staple food including wheat, pulses, vegetable oil and sugar as well as wheat soya blend – a special product to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition among children under the age of 5 and pregnant and nursing mothers.

“We appreciate this contribution from the United Arab Emirates because it will help us provide vital food assistance to families who struggle to feed themselves and their children in Yemen,” said Cousin. “Over the years, our partnership with the UAE has helped save millions of lives worldwide. We can always count on the generosity of the UAE and its people in these difficult times.”

Commenting on the agreement, Minister Al Hashimy said: “Providing such assistance is part of the pledge to support the humanitarian and relief efforts for those affected people, especially women and children, within the framework of the humanitarian approach that the UAE adopts.”

She added that “the UAE looks forward to achieve more effective work and strengthen the partnership with the WFP for the ultimate goal of providing relief to those who are suffering the most.”

The number of food insecure people in Yemen is estimated at close to 14 million, according to a WFP food security assessment in June. This includes 7 million people who are severely food insecure, with 70 percent of the population of some governorates unable to provide food for themselves.

WFP is providing food to six million people in Yemen every two months, rotating assistance between families in greatest need due to limited resources. WFP support has helped to stabilize the situation, though in the context of Yemen, this means that food insecurity remains persistently high.

#                              #                                 #

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. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media, @wfp_MENA, @ShareTheMealorg

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

Intisar AlQsar, WFP/Sana’a, Mob. +962791295742

Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +2010 66634352

Reem Nada, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +202 2528 1730 ext. 2610, Mob. +20 0166634522

Mohammed Amasha, WFP/Dubai Tel. +971 4 454 9560, Mob. +971 55 826 9371 

Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41-79-842-8057

Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel.  +44 20 72409001, Mob.  +44 7968 008474

Steve Taravella, WFP/Washington DC, Tel. +1 202 653 1149, Mob. +1 202 770 5993