The World Food Programme has welcomed the single largest aid donation ever by the Faroese Government.
After the first famine in the world since 2011 was declared in South Sudan last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Poul Michelsen, pledged the Government to donate USD 200.000 to the UN’s food assistance branch, The World Food Programme.
“The Government of the Faroe Islands is deeply concerned about the dire situation in South Sudan. I see the Emergency Operation and Integrated Rapid Response Mechanism endavours carried out by the World Food Programme as the most efficient way to reach those currently facing the unimaginable conditions of famine and malnourishment,” the Minister said in a formal letter of contribution to the WFP.
Half of the population in South Sudan – 5,5 million people – live in severe food insecurity every day. A prolonged civil war and drought have caused the famine.
Last year, the Faroese Government oversaw a major increase in the budget for aid and development.
“As a prosperous nation in the safest part of the world, we have a responsibiliy to those less fortunate. This donation to the WFP reflects the Government’s progressive commitment to international aid and development,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Poul Michelsen.
Assisting 80 million people in around 80 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.