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US donation for war refugees

    JOHANNESBURG

    The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday that the United States government had donated US $466,267 for food to be distributed at the Osire refugee camp, about 230 km north of the capital Windhoek. WFP said that the donation would cover both the food commodities and transportation costs.

    “We are extremely grateful for this large contribution which will help us continue in our mission to bring food to those in desperate need,” said Ronald Sibanda, WFP Representative for Angola and Namibia. “The US donation represents almost a 100 percent of current requirements, and will provide survival food to these refugees for several months at current levels,” he added.

    The food supplies comprises maize meal, beans, iodised salt and cooking oil.

    WFP said that according to latest figures from UNHCR there were now nearly 11,000 refugees at the Osire Camp. “The figures have, unfortunately continued to rise and now stand at almost 11,000 and is expected to reach at least 15,000 by the end of the year,” Sibanda said.

    “Most of them have arrived with little or no possessions, and have no land, seeds or tools that would enable them to grow their own food or nay other means to procure food supplies on their own,” WFP noted.

    Speaking during at visit to the camp on Monday, Julia Taft US State Department Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migrations said:

    “The US government is always happy to help alleviate the plight of the hungry poor, and there are no more deserving than refugees that have no other immediate means of sustenance.”

    “Our ‘Food for Peace’ programme has been instrumental in helping organisations such as WFP carry on in their battle against world hunger,” Taft added.

    The Osire Camp is currently being used by UNHCR to house mostly Angolan refugees that have crossed into Namibia. Food for the refugees is being provided by WFP both through UNHCR who administers the camp and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), who is in charge of health care, sanitation and storage facilities.

    WFP said that in addition to the donation by the US government, the German government has also contributed US $13,000 towards the purchase of sugar and salt.

    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

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