United States supports World Food Programme operations in Sudan
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed the arrival of a U.S. vessel carrying a food contribution worth approximately US$37 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
WFP will use the shipment of 47,500 metric tons of sorghum, a Sudanese staple, to cover the needs of nearly 200,000 South Sudanese refugees for five months and more than a million displaced people in Darfur for four months.
The United .States Embassy Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Benjamin Moeling and WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan were both in Port Sudan in the Red Sea state to welcome the ship's arrival. They also saw firsthand the unloading and bagging of sorghum at the port.
"The Obama Administration, working with WFP, is committed to ensuring that fewer people in Sudan go to bed hungry. We cannot and will not ignore the pressing and immediate needs of people who are affected by conflict or drought who continue to face severe food insecurity and malnutrition. “We remain committed to helping vulnerable people in Sudan and urge all parties to end the conflicts.,, said Charge D'Affaires a.i. Moeling." As a leader in relief efforts, the United States continues to be WFP's long-standing partner and largest single donor to Sudan over the years, contributing almost half of WFP's yearly requirements for its operations in the country. From 2010 to 2015 alone, USAID contributed more than US$1.4 billion to WFP operations in Sudan, enabling it to respond to the needs of food-insecure people across the country, especially those who have been displaced by the recurring conflict.
"This generous contribution from the Government of the United States and its people comes at a time when we are looking for additional resources to meet the needs created by new displacements in Darfur as well as the influx of South Sudanese refugees. It also demonstrates our strong relations and common goal of serving the vulnerable people of Sudan," said Khan.
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