WFP in US $35 million agreement with Kigali

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) signed on Thursday a US $35.4-million development aid deal with the Rwandan government, under which WFP will deliver 53,566 mt of food over the next four years. The agency will also provide operational assistance valued at $28.7 million over the same period. In a communiqué, the UN agency in the capital, Kigali, said it would also provide $4.1 million for training, technical, monitoring and evaluation support, and other essential non-food items such as vehicles, computers and survey equipment. "This agreement provides a framework to strengthen the capability of hungry and poor households and communities to meet their food and nutrition needs, especially female-headed households, children, the elderly and those affected by HIV/AIDS," David Stevenson, the WFP country representative, said. Working with the Ministry of Local Government, Information and Social Affairs, WFP aid would target about 385,000 beneficiaries in two domains: support for basic education and support for improved self-reliance for HIV/AIDS-affected households. Aid would be concentrated in areas of chronic food insecurity, high HIV/AIDS prevalence and low school enrolment in the southeast of the country. Two school feeding and HIV/AIDS pilot projects started in 2001 would also be expanded, WFP said. Stevenson said the country programme was built upon the lessons of the last two years of WFP aid for Rwanda, and would try to focus on areas where food-security needs were greatest and where the impact of these interventions could be most useful. "We want to tackle food-insecurity issues before they reach crisis levels," he said. The agreement also aims to provide support for the government's disaster management, prevention and response capability department in the prime minister's office, and a disaster management theme group under the United Nations country team. This will enhance the government's capacity to respond to disasters and establish contingency arrangements. In addition to these activities, WFP said it would continue its other programmes, such as assistance for nutrition centres, refugees, returnees and rural public works projects, which are helping to feed more than 100,000 people.