World Food Programme renews funding appeal

The WFP on Tuesday repeated its appeal for US $95 million to continue feeding hundreds of thousands of refugees, displaced persons and drought-affected people in the Great Lakes region. “WFP has been struggling to feed more than one million people every year in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, but their plight has been nearly forgotten by the world, which has focused more on other crises on the continent and around the world,” said Burke Oberle, WFP Regional Manager for the Great Lakes region, in a press statement. He said that unless the funding was received “immediately” to purchase 111,800 mt of food, the result would be “widespread hunger”.

Drought and internal displacement in Burundi had increased the number of people WFP was feeding on a monthly average basis from 1.2 million to 2.1 million people, Oberle said. In Tanzania, the agency was assisting more that 500,000 refugees from the DRC and Burundi but, due to resource shortfalls, they were receiving only 80 percent of their needs. In Uganda, 25,000 refugees living in settlements were relying on WFP assistance, but supplies in the country were nearly depleted, according to the press release. In Rwanda, meanwhile, nearly 30,000 Congolese and Burundian refugees depended on WFP but recent shortages had forced it to suspend food-for-work activities. “We strongly urge donors to step up food assistance to the Great Lakes now to stave off a massive crisis that is just around the corner,” said Oberle.