Italy / Cooperation: South Sudan, support for the World Food Programme

ROME, Italy, December 6, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Italian Development Cooperation is supporting the World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan, with the approval of a voluntary emergency donation of 800,000 for food aid initiatives.

The Italian donation will go to “Emergency Operation (EMOP) 200338 - Food Assistance to Vulnerable Population” formulated by the WFP for 2012. The goal of the project is to combat food insecurity and malnutrition. It aims to help 2.6 vulnerable people by providing urgent food supplies in 9 out of 10 states before the arrival of the rainy season, expected in March–April next year.

More specifically, the Italian donation will be used to buy and distribute 480 tons of fortified food supplements to prevent infant malnutrition. This supplement will be distributed each day to about 16,000 children aged under three during the most critical months. The WFP will also collaborate, where possible, with Italian NGOs working on the ground, security conditions permitting.