Posted on July, 17, 2018 at 10:51 am
Written by Tione Andsen
World Food Programme (WFP) Monday recieved two contributions totalling USD $12 million from the United Kingdom government to support operations in the country.
Of the amount, £2.3 million will provide nutritional supplies for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition among 87,000 people including children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, between June 2018 and March 2019.
The remaining £6.8 million will help WFP to provide support to 31,000 households under its Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme.
The funds will allow for the scale-up of resilience-building interventions such as weather-indexed micro-insurance, village-based savings and loans activities, and climate services.
“We are grateful to the UK for its steadfast support of our efforts to promote food and nutrition security in the country,” WFP Country Director for Malawi, Benoit Thiry said.
He added that, “This contribution comes at a critical time. The UK is a major partner which always stands with those in need of critical assistance.”
The UK is one of the largest donors to WFP in the country, having contributed £24 million (USD 31.7 million) since 2016 towards breaking the cycle of hunger.
WFP is supporting the country through a range of programmes, including emergency food and cash based transfers, nutritional support and resilience-building.
“Long-term investments are essential to addressing food and nutrition insecurity in Malawi and building the resilience of the economy and its people to weather-related shocks,” Acting Country Director for the Department for International Development (DFID) in Malawi, Chris Austin explained.
“These efforts will help the country to achieve its potential and empower women, men and children to find sustainable solutions to hunger and enjoy a brighter future,” he pointed out.
The funding will support a multi-sectoral approach to addressing malnutrition and building resilience.
To ensure the long-term impact and sustainability of the programme, WFP is placing a significant focus on strengthening the capabilities of government, communities and families to withstand and recover from shocks.
Source: Malawi News Agency (MANA Online)