Norway grants US $1.9 million for humanitarian needs in Darfur
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) – KHARTOUM
Norway helps provide nutritious food to malnourished families in Sudan
14 December 2014 KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a substantial donation from Norway’s government towards emergency operations in Sudan.
Norway’s contribution of NOK12,400,000 (US$1.9 million) will enable WFP to treat 50,000 pregnant women, nursing mothers and children aged under five affected by moderate acute malnutrition in Darfur, with 900 metric tons of specialised nutritous food (SuperCereal Plus). Each year, an estimated 2 million children under five are affected by acute malnutrition in Sudan. Children suffering this condition are between three and twelve times more at risk of dying than well-nourished children.
“This year we have seen an unprecedented number of large scale humanitarian crises around the world, including South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Syria, creating enormous pressure on global humanitarian funding”, says Norway’s Ambassador, Morten Aasland. “At the same time there are major humanitarian needs here in Sudan; in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile in particular, which Norway sees as important to continue to address.”
“Through WFP’s programe, Norway is able to facilitate relief to some of the most vulnerable groups in Sudan, although, it is very important that the conditions are such that help can actually reach those in need without unnecessary complications”, concludes Aasland.
Providing adequate nutrition to mothers and children among vulnerable people across Sudan is a key priority for WFP. Since the beginning of 2014, nearly 88,000 children under five, pregnant and nursing women have received supplementary food from WFP-supported nutrition centres for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition. So far, almost 87 percent of them have been cured. In 2014, WFP aims to assist a total of 275,000 people suffering moderate acute malnutrition across Sudan.
“We are grateful to the government of Norway for its continued support. This contribution furthers WFP’s critical partnership with Norway in protecting Sudan’s most vulnerable people. It will help us treat moderate acute malnutrition among young children and pregnant and nursing mothers and prevent them from sliding into severe malnutrition,” said WFP Sudan Country Director Adnan Khan.
Earlier this year, Norway contributed NOK2,244,350 (US$400,000) to assist WFP’s response to the influx of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. Since 2010, Norway has contributed a total of US$8.8 million to WFP’s emergency operations in Sudan.
Sudan remains one of WFP’s largest and most complex operations, providing food assistance to people suffering conflict, displacement and chronic under-nourishment in Darfur, as well as in the east and border areas to the south.
In 2014, WFP plans to have assisted 4.1 million people across Sudan – 3.2 million of them in the conflict-affected region of Darfur – through general food distributions, food for training, food for work, school feeding and nutrition programmes to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition among women and children.