Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 29th Feb. World food Programme on Wednesday said that over 7,000 tonnes of wheat donated by Ukraine will feed 1 million people in Sudan who are affected by the conflict for a month.
WFP said in a press release issued in New York said that the in-kind donation part of the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ humanitarian initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the coastal city of Port Sudan and was loaded onto WFP trucks for emergency food distributions.
The agency is working to deliver critical food assistance to families who are struggling with skyrocketing food insecurity as fighting between rivalry military forces in Sudan enters a 10th month.
Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Country-Director in Sudan said “The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic but we need to act now to stop it from spiralling further out of control” .
He added that staff are “working at pace to get food assistance into the hands of families that need it as quickly as possible,”.
The agency noted that 7,600 tonnes of wheat flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs.
The shipment was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office which covered the entire 15 million Euro operating costs, including the transportation of the wheat from Ukraine to Sudan and the implementation and distribution within Sudan.
Mr. Rose said “This donation will enable WFP to support people whose lives have been completely upended by the war.”
He expressed gratitude to Ukraine and Germany for supporting the Sudanese people in their greatest hour of need.
WFP said that Germany is the second largest donor and has been a steadfast supporter of its life saving work in Sudan, the agency said.
The German Government provided 30 million Euros to WFP operations in Sudan last year to ensure vital food assistance reaches people trapped by conflict.
WFP has warned of a looming hunger catastrophe in the country as the lean season approaches.
There are 18 million people who face acute food insecurity of which five million are in emergency levels of hunger.
WFP has provided emergency food and nutrition support to around seven million people since the conflict began last April yet needs continue to grow.
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