WFP welcomes EU donation

The European Union (EU) announced on Wednesday that it had signed a contract with the World Food Programme (WFP) to contribute US $900,000 worth of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. “The WFP welcomes the EU donation to our efforts in Afghanistan,” the WFP regional information officer, Khaled Mansour, told IRIN. He said the donation was in response to the WFP appeal launched last month for 175,000 mt of food as aid for 4 million Afghans hit by the worst drought in 30 years and the deteriorating economy. “The European donation will be used for food-for-work projects, which will help rehabilitate some of the agricultural infrastructure,” Mansour added. The food-for-work projects reward Afghans for a day’s work doing jobs such as cleaning irrigation channels and building roads, by providing them with 6 kg of wheat flour. The EU said in a press release that it remained gravely concerned over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and had further increased its commitment to provide the Afghan people with humanitarian aid. In particular, the EU wanted to direct its aid towards internally displaced persons (IDPs), it added. The donation is to be spent over the next six months and is to be used to address food security issues. WFP tries to focus these projects in parts of Afghanistan worst affected by drought to stem the flow of IDPs, such as the area around Herat in the northeast, which has recently experienced a record influx of IDPs. According to Mansour, the food-for-work projects have proved successful in reducing the numbers of people leaving their villages. “We hope other donors will come forward and support our efforts,” said Mansour. “The US has also promised to provide 75,000 mt of food this year.”