Britain donates £3m to WFP cash and voucher programme in Darfur

September 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The British government has donated GBP three million to United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to implement cash and voucher assistance programme in Darfur.

“WFP plans to use GBP 2 million to support 220,000 displaced people across Darfur with vouchers for four months, helping them to purchase a wide variety of food items from local shops. The remaining GBP 1 million will be used to top up a contribution of GBP 2.2 million that WFP received early this year for the launch of a cash assistance programme,” said the agency in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

The world’s largest humanitarian agency said the purpose of the cash and voucher programme is to boost the local economy and “to stimulate markets by engaging traders that buy from local farmers and markets”.

Aid workers say these voucher also allow the Internally Displaced Persons to get their favourite food items and fresh produce after years of food rations of cereals and leguminosae.

Head of DFID in Sudan Christopher Pycroft said his country since 2013 has given GBP 52 million to the WFP cash and voucher programme in Sudan.

“DFID is committed to supporting more market-based approaches to meet humanitarian needs, enabling greater efficiencies in delivery and choice for beneficiaries to ensure assistance is better tailored to their needs,” Pycroft said.

According to the WFP, the cash and voucher programme in Darfur region supports more than half a million food-insecure displaced people who purchase food from more than 180 local traders.

(ST)