WFP hails Echo donation for Sudan food needs

July 15, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The UN World Food Programme today hailed a generous donation of €26 million from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) to meet critical food needs in Sudan.

The donation will help purchase urgently needed food to assist the most food insecure in Sudan, where WFP aims to feed about 5.9 million people this year, including 4.2 million people in Darfur.

“We are very grateful for this significant contribution and appreciate the continued support of the European Commission,” said Monika Midel, WFP’s Deputy Representative in Sudan. “This timely donation from ECHO is a big boost to our efforts to provide food assistance to vulnerable rural residents in food insecure parts of the country,” he further said.

Despite continuing insecurity, WFP assisted 2.3 million people on average each month in Darfur and 650,000 in the South in the first quarter of 2009 and provided food assistance to nearly 1.2 million in the Central, East Sudan and the Three Areas of Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Thanks to the donors, WFP’s emergency operation in Sudan has received 62% of its 2009 requirement of US$832 million.

The European Commission has contributed so far this year €44.5 million making it one of the largest donor to WFP Sudan

(ST)