30 November 2008
Addis Abeba — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday secured a donation of 1.5 million Euros (over 19 million Birr) from the Government of France.
One million Euro will be used to provide food to individuals impacted by HIV-AIDS, and 500,000 Euro to acutely moderately malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia, WFP said in a statement.
The donation comes after the signing of an agreement between France and the UN food agency.
"As WFP is currently facing significant funding shortfalls, this contribution is especially critical and will help us to continue reaching individuals who have been identified as particularly food insecure and vulnerable, especially acutely moderately malnourished children under the age of five years," the statement quoted Mohamed Diab, WFP Country Director in Ethiopia as having stated.
French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Stéphane Gompertz, re-emphasized the importance of international cooperation to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ethiopian population, a large proportion of who are currently weathering the effects of a devastating drought and high food prices.
WFP said the French contribution will assist malnourished beneficiaries in different parts of the country, including in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia, where generally high rates of global acute malnutrition amongst children and women are registered. "WFP will provide a supplementary food ration of fortified blended food and vegetable oil to beneficiaries on its Targeted Supplementary Food (TSF) Programme." According to the UN agency, in June this year, the French Government also donated 500,000 Euro towards WFP's TSF programme, which supports the Ethiopian Ministry of Health's Child Survival Initiative, and is based on nutritional screening under the joint WFP / UNICEF-supported Enhanced Outreach Strategy (EOS) / Targeted Supplementary Food (TSF) Programme.
The programme is designed to comprehensively address the immediate and partially underlying causes of malnutrition through improved access to basic health services, maternal and child care practices and nutritious food, through the provision of targeted supplementary food rations.
Under the Targeted Supplementary Food Programme, mothers also receive basic nutrition education on how best to use the food, and on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
Part of this latest donation from French Government will also be utilized by WFP to provide food to HIV/AIDS infected and affected households in urban areas, to help individuals meet their basic nutritional needs and develop their capacity to cope with the impact of HIV/AIDS.
"The importance of offering adequate and proper nutrition to prolonging the physical well-being and productive life of people living with the HIV-AIDS virus cannot be over-stated," remarked Mohamed Diab.
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