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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will provide aid to some 39,000 people displaced by war in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
WFP Regional Director for Central Africa Holdbrook Arthur arrived in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, on Wednesday to meet with government authorities on matters of food security and WFP aid.
"Food security and assistance to people displaced by war, to malnourished children, and to particularly vulnerable groups such as street children will be the focus of discussions with the government," Jose Pita-Gros, WFP Deputy Country Director in Kinshasa, told IRIN.
Arthur will also discuss food aid priorities in light of developments since the signing of the Sun City accord in April, Pita-Gros added. The agreement effectively brought an end to hostilities between Kinshasa and the Ugandan-backed Mouvement de liberation du Congo, which controlled about one-third of northern Congo.
During his weeklong visit, Arthur plans to evaluate progress WFP has made in its fight against hunger since his last visit to the country in November 2001. He will also travel to the northwestern town of Mbandaka, in Equateur Province, where WFP has established a base from which to reach the 39,000 displaced Congolese.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
