With 22 million people in Africa desperately short of food, the UN World Food Programme called Monday for the world to respond to the continents hunger with the same commitment and compassion shown recently towards the survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Donations to WFPs operations in Africa dropped by 21 percent in January 2005 to 24 million US dollar compared to 29 million in the first month of 2004. Globally, contributions to WFPs work in Africa represented just eight percent of the total received by the agency, compared with 20 percent in January 2004.
Despite a welcome increase of 80 million dollar in early February, donations for Africa amount to just five percent of the 1,9 billion (milliarder) US dollar needed by WFP to reach the most vulnerable and hungry people there in 2005.
Overall food needs in Africa represent two thirds of WFPs global requirements. This stands in stark contrast to the almost full funding pledged towards the UNs tsunami appeal for 977 million dollar, launched in January. The cost of assisting a tsunami survivor is estimated at 1,07 dollar per person per day in 2005 under the joint UN appeal compared with just 0,16 dollar per person for assistance in Africa – nearly seven times less.
– By responding so vigorously to the tsunami, the world admirably demonstrated how much it cares for millions of people facing extraordinary suffering, said WFP Executive Director James Morris adding:
– The challenge we now face is to ensure that a “tsunami effect” does not ripple across Africa, drawing funds away from humanitarian operations there and adding Sudanese, Angolan and Liberian victims to its toll. I am sure that donors to the tsunami disaster will not allow their generosity to be at the expense of hungry people in Africa, however far from the global spotlight they are, said Morris.
Brief reports on the situation of WFPs operations in Africa
The January contributions of 24 million US dollar to WFP were for operations to help feed 22 million people with critical needs in 22 countries. These include Lesotho and Angola in the south, the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa, Eritrea in the northeast and war-ravaged Liberia and Cote DIvoire in the west.
After donors have invested billions of dollars in humanitarian aid for SUDAN over the past three decades, WFPs current emergency operation to help people return home and rebuild their lives this year is ironically funded at just 7 percent with a massive shortfall of 279 million dollar. Rations for Sudanese and other refugees in Ethiopia have been slashed by 30 percent as a result of funding shortages.
In addition, in five countries across SOUTHERN AFRICA, 5,6 million people are struggling against the triple threat of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and their dwindling capacity to produce food. WFP has so far received less than 10 percent of the contributions needed to help them survive through 2007.
WFP was forced to cut rations for more than 2,8 million people in southern Africa in the second half of 2004 because of a shortage of funds. Many of those beneficiaries are living with HIV/AIDS and many are children – those who can least afford to miss meals, and for whom malnutrition can have irreversible consequences.
As stability returns to WEST AFRICA, there is an urgent need to restore communities and secure peace after over a decade of war. WFPs operation in Liberia is suffering from serious shortfalls and since June last year the agency has had to reduce rations for hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people. Many of them would like to go home, but with their homes and farms destroyed during the war, they will need food aid to tide them over until they can produce enough food for themselves.
WFP on WFP
WFP is the worlds largest humanitarian agency; each year, WFP provides food aid to an average of 90 million people, including 56 million hungry children, in more than 80 countries.
WFP Global School Feeding Campaign – For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school – – a gift of hope for a brighter future. Visit our websites: www.wfp.no, www.wfp.dk, www.wfp.is, www.wfp.org
Kilde: WFPs nordiske kontor i København
