WFP emergency operation receives cash injection

The Canadian government will give the World Food Programme (WFP) the equivalent of US $5 million to address pressing food aid needs in Southern Africa. This was announced by Susan Whelan, Canada's Minister for International Cooperation, on Wednesday. Whelan made the announcement following a meeting in Ottawa with WFP executive director James Morris who had recently toured Southern Africa. The preliminary findings of an emergency food needs assessment, which began in mid-August, showed that the number of people who will suffer food shortages ahead of next year's harvest had risen from 12.8 million in May, to 14.4 million. "The situation in Southern Africa is grave and has developed into a full-scale humanitarian crisis," Whelan said in a statement. "Drought, floods and the lack of resources to address long-term food security issues are the core of this emergency, although the food crisis is complicated by political unrest and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in several countries." "Without such support, WFP, which is fully dependent on voluntary contributions, would become unable to extend a lifeline to the millions who are facing extreme food shortages in Southern Africa and elsewhere in the world," Morris was quoted as saying in a Canadian International Development Agency statement. Of the contribution, Canadian $5,5 million (US $3,5 million) would provide food assistance and Canadian $2,4 million (US $1,5 million) would support a WFP special operation to fortify maize with essential vitamins and minerals. The initiative is expected to help reduce fatalities, avoid vitamin deficiency diseases, improve women's health and reduce anaemia. This brings Canada's humanitarian assistance contribution for Southern Africa this year to about US $27 million.