By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will benefit from the $66 million put in place by the United Nations World Food Programme for emergency food assistance and livelihood support to vulnerable people in 26 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
The funding support is also in collaboration with the Government of Japan, which has consistently been one of WFP’s top donors.
The countries and regions benefitting from this year’s $66 million supplementary funding are Afghanistan, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Chad.
Others include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Yemen.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and enhance response measures, Japan is contributing $5.6 million to WFP to build temperature-sensitive logistics capacities and capabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the agency, $10 million will be allocated for life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Afghanistan, where food insecurity has rapidly deteriorated, driven by the triple-impact of the economic crisis, conflict, and drought.
In Myanmar, Japan will provide $4.6 million for emergency food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable populations in Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, Chin as well as peri-urban areas of Yangon, amid rising food insecurity due to the political crisis, conflict and poverty.
Japan is supporting WFP to deliver vital food assistance to crisis-affected people in Iraq, including internally displaced persons and returnees by contributing $6.4 million. In Yemen, US$ 4.6 million will be used to help WFP provide life-saving assistance to severely food-insecure households.
Speaking on this, Ms Naoe Yakiya, Director of Japan Relations Office said, “The contribution by the Government of Japan will enable us to save and change the lives of millions of vulnerable and hungry people teetering on the edge.”
“We are grateful for the critical support that comes at a time when our emergency food, nutrition and livelihood assistance are needed more than ever due to conflict, climate change and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.”
