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Home » News

UN scales up food assistance for more than 80,000 people in South Sudan.

Article / Review by on January 31, 2012 – 6:10 pmNo Comments

UN scales up food assistance for more than 80,000 people in South Sudan

An internally displaced mother and her children among IDPs in South Sudan. Photo: UNMISS/Gideon PiborAn internally displaced mother and her children among IDPs in South Sudan. Photo: UNMISS/Gideon Pibor

31 January 2012 – The United Nations World Food Programme announced today that it will scale up its assistance to reach 80,000 people affected by the recent escalation of ethnic violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.

“The violence in Jonglei is only one of the many challenges that South Sudan is currently facing, and the world must respond to ensure that the people of this new nation have the support they need to build a peaceful and prosperous country,” said Deputy Executive Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), Ramiro Lopes da Silva, on a visit to the region.

“Many of the women I met in Pibor and Akobo had lost their children and had no one to depend on but the humanitarian agencies on the ground.”

Deadly clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities in recent weeks have displaced tens of thousands of civilians and prompted UN agencies to launch a major humanitarian operation to assist those in need.

Part of WFP’s response includes providing a 15-day emergency food ration to displaced persons who have been affected by the attacks, as well as using its logistics expertise to help other humanitarian agencies overcome challenges to establish a way for people to access their services.

According to a news release issued by the agency, WFP has already deployed three helicopters, an airplane and 28 trucks to deliver not just food but also shelter items and medical supplies to remote corners of Jonglei.

WFP stated that one of its priorities is distributing food before the rain starts in March as 90 per cent of locations targeted for assistance will become inaccessible by road. It also emphasized the need to help affected households cultivate their own crops in time for the next harvest in August.

Ten locations in Jonglei have already been reached by WFP. Five of these are located in Pibor county, including Pibor town and surrounding villages, Lekuangole, Gumruk, Labrab and Boma. Five more are located in recently affected areas in the northern parts of the state. Initial emergency food assistance has been provided in Duk Padiet, while distributions are ongoing in Akobo and Walgak, Yuai in Urur county and Waat in Nyirol county.

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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has scaled up food assistance to reach 80,000 people affected by the recent escalation of inter-communal violence in Jonglei State, in the eastern part of South Sudan.

JUBA– “The violence in Jonglei is only one of the many challenges that South Sudan is currently facing, and the world must respond to ensure that the people of this new nation have the support they need to build a peaceful and prosperous country,” said WFP Deputy Executive Director, Ramiro Lopes da Silva, on a visit to the region.  “Many of the women I met in Pibor and Akobo had lost their children and had no one to depend on but the humanitarian agencies on the ground.”

WFP’s response includes:

  • WFP has rapidly scaled up its food assistance to more than 80,000 people in ten locations affected by the inter-communal violence since it peaked in Jonglei earlier this month.
  • WFP is providing a 15-day emergency food ration to all people verified as displaced and affected by the attacks. WFP is conducting a thorough assessment to determine the food security situation.
  • WFP is using its logistics expertise to help other humanitarian agencies overcome the intense logistical challenges in establishing a critical humanitarian lifeline for the affected population. As the lead agency of the logistics effort, WFP has deployed three helicopters, an aeroplane and 28 trucks to deliver not just food but shelter items, medical supplies and other assistance on behalf of the entire humanitarian community, to the remotest, most inaccessible corners of Jonglei.
  • WFP is aiming to bring in large quantities of food by truck before the rain starts in March, when 90 percent of the locations targeted for food assistance will become inaccessible by road.
  • While many of those who had been displaced are now returning home, they will continue to require support as they confront immense challenges, including destroyed homes and an absence of basic social services.
  • With four months to the next food production season, WFP is working with partners on activities that will help affected households cultivate their own crops in time for the next harvest in August.
  • WFP has reached 10 locations in Jonglei: five locations in Pibor county, including Pibor town and surrounding villages, Lekuangole, Gumruk, Labrab and Boma; and to five of the more recently affected locations in the northern parts of the state. Initial emergency food assistance has been provided in Duk Padiet, while distributions are ongoing in Akobo and Walgak, Yuai in Urur county and Waat in Nyirol county.

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About United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Fighting hunger worldwide

Medicinezine.com United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Logo

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.

“In emergencies, we get food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, we use food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives.”

WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.

Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — as well as other government, UN and NGO partners.

In 2011 we aim to reach more than 90 million people with food assistance in more than 70 countries. Around 10,000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor.

WFP’s five objectives:

  1. Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies
  2. Prepare for emergencies
  3. Restore and rebuild lives after emergencies
  4. Reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition everywhere
  5. Strengthen the capacity of countries to reduce hunger

WFP’s Mission statement

WFP is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. ¹ The policies governing the use of World Food Programme food aid must be oriented towards the objective of eradicating hunger and poverty. The ultimate objective of food aid should be the elimination of the need for food aid.

Targeted interventions are needed to help to improve the lives of the poorest people – people who, either permanently or during crisis periods, are unable to produce enough food or do not have the resources to otherwise obtain the food that they and their households require for active and healthy lives.

Consistent with its mandate, which also reflects the principle of universality, WFP will continue to:

  • use food aid to support economic and social development;
  • meet refugee and other emergency food needs, and the associated logistics support; and
  • promote world food security in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations and FAO.

The core policies and strategies that govern WFP activities are to provide food aid:

  • to save lives in refugee and other emergency situations;
  • to improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives; and
  • to help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through labour-intensive works programmes.

Share food, change lives

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> United Nations (UN).

The General Assembly in session. Photo credit: UN / Eskinder Debebe The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 192 countries.

When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:

  • to maintain international peace and security;
  • to develop friendly relations among nations;
  • to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
  • and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

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* The above story is adapted from materials provided by United Nations (UN)
** More information at United Nations (UN)

More about United Nations (UN)

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