Food Security Archives - World Food Program USA

DAMASCUS – An average monthly wage in Syria currently covers about a quarter of a family’s food needs, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today, highlighting an urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance as the country grapples with the devastating impact of recent earthquakes and a 12-year-long conflict.

Some 12.1 million people, more than 50% of the population, are currently hungry and a further 2.9 million are at risk of sliding into hunger. Meanwhile, recent data show that malnutrition is on the rise, with stunting and maternal malnutrition rates reaching levels never seen before.

“Bombardment, displacement, isolation, drought, economic meltdown and now earthquakes of staggering proportions. Syrians are remarkably resilient but there’s only so much that people can take,” says Kenn Crossley, U.N. World Food Programme country director in Syria. “At what point does the world say enough?”

The February 6 earthquakes came as food prices in Syria were already soaring. The selection of standard food items that the U.N. World Food Programme uses to track food inflation has almost doubled in price in 12 months and is 13 times more expensive than three years ago. The upwards trajectory is expected to continue.

The recent earthquakes have highlighted the urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance in Syria, not only for people hit by the earthquakes, but also for those who were already grappling with sky-rocketing food prices, a fuel crisis and consecutive climate shocks. Food and fuel prices are at their highest in a decade after years of inflation and currency devaluation.

Stunting rates among children have reached 28% in some parts of the country and maternal malnutrition prevalence 25% in northeast Syria.

A country that used to be self-sufficient in food production now ranks among the six countries with the highest food insecurity in the world, with heavy dependency on food imports. Damaged infrastructure, high cost of fuel and drought-like conditions have slashed Syria’s wheat production by 75%.

The U.N. World Food Programme provides food assistance for 5.5 million people across the country through a mixture of food distributions, nutrition programs, school meals, cash assistance and support for livelihoods, resilience, and social safety nets. Since the earthquake hit north Syria, the U.N. World Food Programme has reached 1.7 million quake-affected people, including people who already benefit from monthly food assistance.

A funding crunch for the U.N. World Food Programme in Syria threatens to curtail the assistance, exactly when people need it most. The U.N. World Food Programme urgently requires a minimum of $450 million to keep up assistance for over 5.5 million people across Syria for the rest of 2023. This includes $150 million to support 800,000 people affected by the earthquake for six months.

Without sufficient resources, the U.N. World Food Programme will have to drastically reduce the number of beneficiaries it serves from July onwards, leaving millions of people in deep need without food assistance.

“The world has now forgotten us. That’s what we hear from many Syrians, and it’s a stark reminder that we need to do more,” said the U.N. World Food Programme’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Corinne Fleischer. “We need the funds to continue to provide food for millions of families – until Syrians can feed themselves again.”

As well as providing immediate food assistance, the U.N. World Food Programme is working on finding long-term solutions to help communities in Syria become less reliant on direct food assistance. Across Syria, the U.N. World Food Programme supports the rehabilitation of irrigation systems, mills, bakeries and markets. Such projects carry greater return on investment compared to traditional food distributions. For example, each $1 invested in rehabilitation of bakeries or irrigation canals can reduce the annual cost of general food assistance by over $3.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

FAO, IFAD and WFP push to enhance rural women and girls’ digital capabilities so they can be equal contributors to our agrifood systems.

ROME – Inclusive access to digital technologies and education is crucial to reducing gender inequalities and empowering rural women and girls. That was the message from three United Nations’ food and agriculture agencies as they marked International Women’s Day 2023.

Participants at the event, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), recognized that while digitalization on its own cannot solve all the gender-related disadvantages women face, if provided with equal access to digital technology and education, women can have a more active and effective role in our agrifood systems.

“Admittedly, it is discouraging to celebrate International Women’s Day at a time when we are going backwards on gender equality and are seeing widening gender gaps in science, technology and innovation,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “When we invest in rural women, we invest in resilience, in the future of our communities and in creating a more inclusive and equitable world – one where no one is left behind.”

“Without increased access to digital technology and innovation, rural women and girls will continue to face barriers and socio-economic disadvantages, making it harder for them to fully participate in rural economies,” said IFAD Associate Vice-President Jyotsna Puri, Strategy and Knowledge Department. “Gender inequality and the urban-rural divide will only worsen unless we create a more inclusive and prosperous society for everyone.”

“Food security for households and communities is in the hands of the women. It is only through women’s empowerment that we can build a world where no one goes to sleep hungry,” said the U.N. World Food Programme’s Deputy Executive Director, Valerie Guarnieri. “Putting resources in the hands of women is a no-brainer and with this comes the transfer of knowledge and skills including digital literacy to help these women realize their full potential. Now that’s the kind of game changer that we can all get behind.”

While there is a rapid proliferation of digital tools and services, women continue to face systemic and structural barriers in accessing and adopting new technologies. Evidence on the gender gap indicates that globally 69% of men are using the internet compared with 63% of women. Women in low- and middle-income countries are 16% less likely to use mobile internet than men, and progress in reducing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled.

Recent statistics show that this contrast is even starker in rural areas. Rural women are particularly disadvantaged in terms of access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and less likely to engage with ICT solutions due to constraints such as affordability, illiteracy, user capabilities, and discriminatory social norms.

Under the theme: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality: Leveraging the transformative power of inclusive digitalization and innovation for rural women and girls

Today’s event in Rome brought together thought leaders, policy and change makers who are working on innovative solutions to bring about gender equality in rural areas and beyond. Discussions also highlighted the achievements of rural women related to digital literacy, digital skills and agripreneurship.

Event panelists included: Kusum Balsaraf, general manager of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal; Su Stephanou, founder of Green Dreams and iCow; Claudia Carbajal Morelos, director at Precision Development; Isabelle Carboni, insights director, Digital Inclusion, Mobile for Development, GSMA; and Cesar Maita Azpiri, senior innovation manager, Global Gender unit at IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative.

FAO works to promote the adoption of specific digital technologies through initiatives like the International Platform for Digital Food and Agriculture, FAO Digital Portfolio, E-Agriculture Community of Practice and the 1000 Digital Villages. The FAO Office of Innovation established the Global Network on Digital Agriculture and Innovation Hubs to foster innovation within their digital agriculture ecosystem, with a special focus on women and young agripreneurs, among other programs. Next month, FAO will launch a new report entitled the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems, which will provide evidence on how empowering women can lift millions of people out of hunger and make agrifood systems more resilient and sustainable.

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, IFAD has provided more than $24 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in low- and middle-income countries.

The U.N. World Food Programme’s work on digital financial literacy helps communities enhance their livelihoods, access financial services and tools and, in the long run, strengthen their food security. For example, through its cash-based transfer programs across the globe, the U.N. World Food Programme seeks to directly address the barriers to digital and financial services borne out of socio-cultural norms and gender-based stereotypes. By assisting women with digital and financial literacy trainings and working with community champions, the U.N. World Food Programme helps them to open their own banking, mobile money or other digital accounts. This brings economic benefits including food security to these women and, in turn, their families and entire societies.

More on this topic:

The United Nations theme for International Women’s Day this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”
FAO International Women’s Day
UN Women
FAO Gender
FAO Director General’s video message
WFP’s work on gender equality

Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2023) — World Food Program USA has made a $1 million grant in support of the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) Rapid Rural Transformation (RRT) programs across southern Madagascar. This grant is part of a new strategic initiative at World Food Program USA to invest in targeted, programmatic solutions with the potential for long-term impact.

The RRT program, currently in a pilot phase, combines two climate risk mitigation strategies: strengthened natural resource management and diversification of incomes. RTT projects provide remote communities with vital infrastructure services including solar-powered hubs, a sustainable water source and online health check-ups – all of which greatly improve people’s quality of life. These scalable solutions help communities build food security as well as their resilience to climate shocks.

“While emergency assistance staves off hunger in the short-term, the chronic food insecurity we see in Madagascar – one of the world’s poorest and most disaster-prone countries – can only be meaningfully addressed by adequate investment in tackling its root causes,” said Barron Segar, president and CEO of World Food Program USA. “We felt it was important to directly invest in this innovative, long-term solution to build resiliency and drive development one village at a time. We’re excited to continue this approach to ensure overlooked projects are getting the resources they need.”

Each RRT hub, which is managed by regional authorities, allows various partners to set up integrated community services. These services include training centers for women and youth on food production and business skills, digital classrooms, solar-powered drip irrigation systems and hydroponics. The program will ultimately provide provide an ecosystem of integrated services needed to drive rural transformation in remote areas. The project kicked off in June 2022 and is currently about 75% of the way through construction and installation.

“The initiative is a game-changer,” says Pasqualina di Sirio, the U.N. World Food Programme’s country director in Madagascar. “Working with the government, the integrated services approach helps us to stimulate grassroots development, while addressing rural communities’ most pressing needs. Our plan is to expand the initiative to other villages and regions.”

Madagascar is among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate disasters, which is a key driver of food insecurity in the region. Nearly 2 million people – over one-third of the south’s population – are estimated to face crisis or emergency levels of hunger, a number that is projected to surpass 2 million later this year. The U.N. World Food Programme has developed wide-ranging efforts to address the drivers of hunger and build resilience at the roots but such initiatives are significantly under-funded.

This is not the first time World Food Program USA has raised significant funds for Madagascar. In November 2021, the organization raised more than $4 million when ABC World News Tonight’s David Muir traveled to Madagascar to cover communities on the brink of famine.

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About the United Nations World Food Programme  

The U.N. World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

About World Food Program USA

World Food Program USA, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, DC, proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. To learn more about World Food Program USA’s mission, please visit wfpusa.org/mission-history.

Media Contact:
Toula Athas
Director, Communications
tathas@wfpusa.org
202-627-3940

CAIRO/ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has stepped up its emergency response to support earthquake survivors in Syria and Türkiye, providing emergency food assistance to nearly half a million quake-affected people in the two countries through hot meals, ready-to-eat food packages and family food rations.

U.N. World Food Programme teams in the two countries are delivering immediate relief in the affected areas and at the same time assessing needs and supporting logistics efforts. Because the U.N. World Food Programme has ongoing operations in both countries, it has partners, staff and a robust supply chain in place. This means the U.N. World Food Programme could respond to food needs within the first hours of the disaster.

“Families tell me they left everything behind when the earthquake hit, running for their lives. The U.N. World Food Programme’s food is a lifeline for them. While they think about their next steps in the destruction left by the earthquake, their children can eat,” said Corinne Fleischer, U.N. World Food Programme regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. “We have scaled up rapidly and requests for more food are coming every day from cities and communities. We are there for them, but the U.N. World Food Programme can’t do it alone. We urgently appeal for funding to help us reach those in need.”

In Syria, in addition to providing immediate food assistance in quake-affected cities, the U.N. World Food Programme has resumed its regular general food assistance for 5.5 million people every month following a brief pause after the earthquakes. This includes regular monthly assistance, either in-kind or cash-based, to 1.4 million people in non-government-controlled areas of the northwest.

Between February 13 – 16, 52 U.N. World Food Programme-contracted trucks crossed into northwest Syria through Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam.

With humanitarian access expanded through the opening of two additional border crossing points from Türkiye to northwest Syria, the U.N. World Food Programme plans to use all three Turkish-Syrian border crossings, Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salam and Al Ra’ee, to ensure a constant reach of aid to non-government-controlled areas of northwest Syria.

Prior to the earthquake, food insecurity and poverty in Syria were already at alarming rates with a population suffering the effects of 12 years of conflict and successive shocks. Over 12 million people across the country were categorized as food insecure, including 2.5 million people severely food insecure. In addition, 2.9 million were at risk of slipping into food insecurity.

The Syrian economy is too fragile to withstand external shocks and the earthquake-affected cities of Syria have been severely impacted by the conflict. In northwest Syria, 90% of the population, 4.1 million people, were already relying on humanitarian assistance prior to the earthquake.

“We rely on the international donor community to stand up for Syrians, otherwise, the February 6 earthquakes will turn an already dire situation into an unbearable scenario for millions of people,” says U.N. World Food Programme Representative and Country Director in Syria Kenn Crossley. “No population can face this alone after years of conflict, a pandemic and catastrophic economic decline.”

The U.N. World Food Programme is appealing for $80 million to provide assistance through hot meals, ready-to-eat meals, vouchers and cash.

The U.N. World Food Programme is also appealing for funding for both the earthquake affected population and the millions of people in Syria that receive the agency’s lifesaving food assistance every month. The U.N. World Food Programme urgently requires a minimum of $386 million to maintain its regular emergency assistance program across all of Syria.

Without sufficient resources, the U.N. World Food Programme will be forced to dramatically reduce up to 70% of the people it assists in Syria from July onwards.

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WASHINGTON, DC (December 27, 2022)—World Food Program USA commends the passage of $1.7 trillion Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill. This bill provides robust support for the International Affairs Budget and continues the legacy of American leadership as the world’s largest provider of international food assistance. Specifically, this FY23 spending bill provides strong funding for the Food for Peace (Title II) commodities program, cash-based assistance through the International Disaster Assistance account and support for international school meals through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

While World Food Program USA welcomes the significant funding provided by Congress through this spending bill, needs will only continue to rise in the coming years. Conflict, climate change and the threat of a global recession have already pushed global hunger to record levels. So far, famine has been largely contained thanks to considerable emergency funding provided by the United States beyond regular appropriations. It is vital that the appropriations process returns to regular order in the 118th Congress, that base funding for key international food assistance accounts are grown and that Congress continues to provide emergency supplemental funding as new needs arise.

Since the 1950s, the United States has provided lifesaving humanitarian aid to organizations like the UN World Food Programme, reaching billions of vulnerable people suffering from life-threatening hunger. The United States has long invested in these international food assistance programs because they are morally right, economically smart and in the best interest of the United States’ own national security. World Food Program USA stands ready to work with the new Congress to ensure this legacy continues and that the United States maintains its mantle as the global leader in the fight against hunger.

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About World Food Program USA

WASHINGTON, DC (December 14, 2022) — World Food Program USA commends the passage of H.Res.1156, a House bill “expressing the commitment of the House of Representatives to building on the 20 years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.” World Food Program USA extends sincere gratitude to the original co-sponsors of this bill, Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Tracey Mann (R-KS), as well as the 83 other sponsoring members of the United States House of Representatives.

World Food Program USA has a long history with the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, with the original legislation put forward by two former World Food Program USA Board Members, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. Fellow Board Member, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, helped execute the program’s pilot phase during the Clinton Administration. Since that time, World Food Program USA has worked tirelessly to ensure the bipartisan and bicameral legacy of support for the program continues. What began as a powerful idea has since grown into a global school meals program that has supported tens of millions of children in need.

The United States is the largest donor to the United Nations World Food Programme’s school meals program, provided primarily through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program. This important work has improved the food security and nutrition of schoolchildren around the world. School meals are a critical component in breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty, increasing school enrollment, reducing the number of school dropouts (especially among girls) and improving the overall health of children.

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About the United Nations World Food Programme

About World Food Program USA