Russian Federation and WFP provide food to vulnerable Palestinians
JERUSALEM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) started delivering fortified wheat flour for 72,000 people of the most vulnerable families in Gaza and the West Bank people for nine months, thanks to a US$4 million grant from the Russian Federation.
WFP used the funds to purchase 5,076 tons of wheat flour from Russia. Wheat flour is a key component of WFP’s food ration it distributes to Bedouin and herding communities in the West Bank and other vulnerable families in Gaza, alongside pulses, vitamin-rich vegetable oil and iodized salt.
“Together with our esteemed colleagues from WFP we are proud to be a part of joint efforts to provide basic food support to the poorest families here in Palestine,“ said Deputy Representative of the Russian Federation to the Palestinian Authority Alexey Faezov during distributions of wheat flour to the Bedouin and herding community of Wadi Qelt in the West Bank. “This is the least that can be done and we will continue to do our best to contribute further to international humanitarian assistance.“
The protracted humanitarian and socio-economic crisis in Palestine hits the poorest families the most, making them more dependent on external support for survival as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen an already dire situation. Two million Palestinians, representing 40 percent of the total population, are estimated to be food insecure - a level of need the requires food assistance.
“We are grateful for Russia’s consistent and generous support to the most vulnerable Palestinians who cannot afford securing their basic food needs amidst heightened hardships,” said WFP Country Director Samer Abdeljaber. “Our strong partnership has helped thousands of families have a reliable safety-net that shields them from sinking deeper into poverty and hunger.”
In 2021, WFP continues to provide regular food assistance to some 350,000 vulnerable non-refugee population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, mainly through food vouchers and multi-purpose cash as well as in-kind food parcels. WFP implements home-based agricultural activities for longer term impact on vulnerable families’ dietary diversity and livelihoods. Together with other partners in Palestine WFP is supporting national efforts to foster social protection programmes which are more inclusive to most vulnerable groups and alert to gender-equality.
Russia is a long-standing partner of WFP assistance in Palestine. The latest funding brings Russia’s total contribution to WFP’s activities in Palestine to more than US$25 million in the past ten years.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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