Japan has announced a generous donation of $50 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help combat hunger and food insecurity in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The grant will support WFP’s humanitarian and development operations in areas affected by conflict, climate change, and economic crisis.
According to a statement from WFP, the contribution will enable the agency to provide life-saving food assistance, nutrition support, and livelihood opportunities to millions of vulnerable people, especially women and children. Japan has been one of WFP’s top donors, consistently supporting its efforts to achieve zero hunger by 2030.
Some of the countries that will benefit from the grant include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Haiti, Jordan, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, and Yemen. These countries face various challenges, such as armed conflict, displacement, natural disasters, poverty, and malnutrition, that threaten the lives and livelihoods of their populations.
In Nigeria, for example, the grant will help WFP reach over 1.2 million people in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, where insecurity and violence have disrupted food production and access. WFP will provide food and cash transfers, as well as nutrition interventions for pregnant and nursing women and children under five.
In Myanmar, the grant will support WFP’s emergency response to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the military coup in February 2024, which has displaced more than 700,000 people and affected over 10 million people with food insecurity. WFP will distribute food and cash assistance, as well as specialized nutritious food for children and mothers.
In Palestine, the grant will help WFP assist more than 430,000 people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, who suffer from chronic food insecurity due to the ongoing conflict, blockade, and economic decline. WFP will provide food vouchers, cash transfers, and school meals, as well as support small-scale farmers and women’s cooperatives.
Yasuhiro Tsumura, the director of the WFP Japan Relations Office, expressed his gratitude for the donation, saying: “We are grateful for this invaluable contribution from the people of Japan. This contribution enables us to reach families who suffer from hunger and lack of access to food as a result of conflict and disasters, supporting the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable households.”
He added that WFP is facing a critical funding shortage and urged for more support from the international community. “Cutting rations, however, will only increase the number of people in need. We sincerely ask for the continued support of the people of Japan.”
The grant from Japan comes at a time when the world is facing unprecedented levels of hunger and malnutrition, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic impacts. According to the latest report by WFP and other UN agencies, more than 800 million people are estimated to be undernourished, and more than 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.
Source: Leadership Newspaper
