WFP welcomes Japanese contribution to support critical emergency food assistance in Libya
Tripoli – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Libya has welcomed a contribution of JPY 200 million (approx.US$1.53 million) from Japan to implement its food distribution in the West and the East of the country. This project aims to provide food assistance to more than 10,000 beneficiaries, including vulnerable and food-insecure people, as well as schoolchildren.
Furthermore, the Government of Japan has recently confirmed a new contribution of US$ 0.5 million to provide general food assistance to some 8,500 vulnerable IDPs, host communities and returnees in the South of the country who are suffering from high food prices caused by the war in Ukraine. “WFP is extremely grateful to the Government of Japan for these generous contributions coming at a crucial time in a world struggling with the impact of COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine,” said Maysaa AlGhribawy, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Libya.
Both Japanese contributions will allow WFP Libya to support thousands of people in need who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising food prices, with monthly in-kind nutritious and unconditional food assistance in the targeted districts across the country, where the market functionality has been greatly affected by global supply chain disruptions.
“Food security is one of the key sectors that Japan is tackling, in line with the ‘Food Security in Africa’ initiative,” launched at the sixth round of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development held in Nairobi in 2016 said Mr. Masaki Amadera, Chargé d’Affaires of Japan to Libya/Special Coordinator for Libya.
“Japanese contributions will not only support general food assistance to vulnerable communities but also the School Feeding Programme which will contribute to achieving three other goals; supporting the education of school children, stimulating local markets and agriculture, as well as creating job opportunities for the local communities, which we believe would contribute to the stability of the country,” Amadera added.
The Japanese support will also enable WFP Libya to lay the foundation for a more targeted social safety net system in the country. WFP plans to use part of the funds received from the Government of Japan towards the continuation of the central kitchen school feeding programme, targeting schoolchildren aged between 6 to 14 years in Benghazi city, in the eastern part of the country. WFP will provide these children with ready-to-eat meals such as canned tuna fish donated by Japan.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is 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.