WFP needs US $65 million to feed hundreds of thousands

The World Food Programme (WFP) appealed on Wednesday for US $65 million to feed hundreds of thousands of people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where fighting is worsening an already bad humanitarian crisis, the UN agency said. “The situation in the region has been steadily worsening,” Arnold Vercken, WFP regional manager for West Africa, said. In Guinea, the agency said, an estimated 50,000 people have been displaced since fighting began in September along that country’s border with Sierra Leone and Liberia. At least 300 people have been killed, WFP added, and tens of thousands have fled their homes. In addition, WFP has identified another 965,000 beneficiaries for food aid in 2001 under the agency’s Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation programme. The year-long project begins in January and will help 573,000 people. Among these are refugees, the internally displaced, malnourished children and other vulnerable groups, WFP said. “This year we have had to partially scale back our operations, from school feeding to food-for-work, to assisting vulnerable groups,” Vercken said. An additional 392,000 will get food to take part in rebuilding infrastructure, boosting farming and providing household food security.