World Food Programme (WFP)
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WFP is the frontline United Nations organisation fighting to eradicate world hunger -- whether it is the hunger that suddenly afflicts people fleeing ethnic conflict in Rwanda or Bosnia or the chronic hunger that affects the hungry poor in countries such as Bangladesh or India. WFP became operational in 1963 and is now the world's largest international food aid organization.

WFP has emergency and development projects in 80 countries world-wide and a staff of more than 5,000, over half of whom are employed on a temporary basis.

WFP has the smallest headquarters staff and the lowest percentage of budget devoted to administration (averaging only 9 percent) of any UN agency. This is important because WFP's budget is voluntary and based on performance, linked to the tonnage of food it moves. Contributions -- either in cash, commodities or services -- to WFP come from donor nations, inter-governmental bodies such as the European Union, corporations and individuals.

WFP focuses on the most vulnerable: women, children and the elderly. " Women and their young children are the first to suffer when crops fail or a nation is seized with violence. They should be the first in line when we invest our money, adding to their capacity to cope with tragedy and re-build for the future," says Catherine Bertini, WFP Executive Director.

WFP food aid is provided primarily to least developed and low-income, food-deficit countries. During the past three decades, WFP has invested about US$24 billion and more than 43 million tons of food to combat hunger, promote economic and social development, and provide relief assistance in emergencies throughout the world.

Out of the US$24 billion, US$10.3 billion was for sub-Saharan Africa, US$7.1 billion for South and East Asia, US$3.4 billion for North Africa and the Middle East, US$2 billion for Latin America and the Caribbean and US$1.3 billion for Europe and the CIS.
Eradicating hunger, which afflicts one in every seven people on earth, cannot be achieved without creating conditions that help people become self-reliant. WFP uses food aid as a vital catalyst in development activities that promote self-reliance among the poorest of the poor who are often bypassed by more mainstream development.

WFP's mission is: 1) to save the lives of people caught up in humanitarian crises, through Food-For-Life; 2) to support the most vulnerable people at the most critical times of their lives, through Food-For-Growth and; 3) to help the hungry poor become self-reliant and build assets, through Food-For-Work.

WFP in Somalia

WFP focuses on relief to drought and other natural calamity affected areas, selective feeding and recovery operations. Selective feeding programmes target school feeding, TB centers, HIV/AIDS, MCHs, orphanages and other socially vulnerable groups. Recovery operations aim at social and economic infrastructure rehabilitation and capacity building especially for women.

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Contact:
Said Warsame
P.O. Box 64902 GIGIRI, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: + 254 20 622945
Fax: + 254 20 622794
Email: said.warsame@wfp.org