Tens of Thousands in Lake Chad Region to Benefit from Increased EU Contribution:
The World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a one-million euro contribution from the European Union through the Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace. This contribution takes the EU’s financial support to WFP in the Lake Chad region to 4,5 million euros. It will allow WFP to provide more than emergency relief for 12,500 families, comprised of 62,500 very vulnerable people in the west of the Sahelian belt.
The region has been suffering dramatically from insecurity. Massive population displacement has contributed to a deterioration of the food and nutritional situation. Malnutrition rates are near the emergency threshold. Displaced people and host communities have seen their livelihoods directly affected by the crisis, with reduced cross-border trade and very limited agricultural and fishing activities.
“This important contribution from one of our main donors is based on two principles: the liking of food assistance to the creation of assets and the direct involvement of beneficiaries from the start. Consultations and dialogue allow the most vulnerable families to indicate what support they need most,” said WFP Country Director for Chad Mary-Ellen McGroarty. “This long-term approach, which goes beyond emergency assistance, brings us closer to achieving Zero Hunger.”
Over the 18 months of the project, WFP’s assistance, in exchange for the creation of community assets, will be delivered through cash transfers. This empowers people by giving them the control over their food supply, and stimulates the local economy through direct purchases on local markets.
“This contribution will help develop self-reliance and enable vulnerable people, including the displaced, to live in dignity and contribute to their host communities. It will also pave the way for bridging humanitarian and development interventions, through a comprehensive approach to the crisis,” said Denisa-Elena Ionete, Ambassador, Chief of the Delegation of the European Union in Chad. “The empowerment of local communities, and the fostering of integrated local development, are at the heart of this approach.”
In the Lake Chad region, WFP is working closely with UNICEF and FAO. The project supported by the European Union will also be implemented in partnership with the local authorities and community-based organizations. It will improve natural resource management for the development of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Resource optimization is particularly important in this region strongly affected by climate change.
Distributed by APO on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
