Japan donates $3 million in food assistance to WFP to deal with malnutrition in Sudan
August 21, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Japanese government signed an agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome by which Tokyo will provide more than $3 million in food assistance to help it respond to food shortage and malnutrition in Sudan.
“Japan regards Sudan as one of the most important countries for achieving peace and stability in Africa and the world. Thus, it is of utmost importance that necessary amount of food should be promptly distributed to vulnerable people and enable them to lead a stable life,” Horie said.
The envoy noted that his government launched the $39 million grant aid project named as “Upgrading Food Production Infrastructure” in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support agricultural development and to contribute to poverty reduction and food security in Sudan.
WFP says that despite a good harvest in 2012 in areas where it operates in Sudan, food security remains fragile and is threatened by a combination of conflict, insecurity and high food prices.
In 2013, WFP says t plans to provide food assistance to four million people in Sudan, including 2.9 million conflict-affected people in Darfur and one million people in central and eastern Sudan and in the conflict-affected states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
(ST)