Management of WFP to extend and expand programme in three Northern

Regions

Kologo(UER), Sept. 7, GNA - The management of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has sourced a 3.4 dollar facility from the Saudi Government to extend and expand its programme of food relief in Upper East, West and Northern Regions. Ms Jossette Sheeran, Executive Secretary of WFP, disclosed this at Kologo, a beneficiary community in Kassena-Nankana District in Upper East Region at the weekend during a working visit. The WFP assisted people in the community with food during last year's floods. The programme expected to end in November this year, is to be extended and expanded following appeals from government and assistance from the Saudi Government. Currently, WFP has spent about 16.9 million dollars on food rationing including supplementary feeding, Health and Nutrition Education for 60,000 women and children, Support for 76,000 pupils on its Basic Education Support programme in the form of food rationing and an Emergency Operation programme where 185,000 victims of the floods are being catered for in the three Regions. The new phase which begins in November this year, would include food rationing for 20,000 pupils, a family or household of five members to cover 100,000 persons. Under this phase, 215,000 peasant farmers would be assisted with agro inputs to engage in farming activities. Ms Sheeran who paid a courtesy call on Mr Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, said WFP had a long standing partnership with Ghana and mentioned hunger projects, Child Mortality and Nutrition programmes and support for disaster programmes. Mr Samari expressed appreciation to WFP for its swift response to the request by government and especially the support to the Region. He said without the support from WFP and other donor agencies it would have been difficult for people in the Region to make any meaningful life after the floods last year. Mr Ismail Omar, Country Director of WFP in Ghana, in an interview with Ghana News Agency, said the WFP for the first time was undertaking a nationwide assessment to identify pockets of poverty stricken areas for assistance. He said assisting farmers to effectively recover from last year's flood was essential because the world was generally hard hit by daily increase of prices of food stuffs and when farmers were given adequate support to fully engage in farming activities they would produce enough to make up for the losses. The WFP spent about 4.2 million dollars in Upper East Region on food, commodities, equipment and training activities between 2006 and 2008. About 106,400 people are currently receiving WFP food assistance in the Region, 25,500 pupils have been supported through the School Feeding Programme, 18,000 mothers and children have benefited from malnutrition assistance while 40,000 people severely affected by floods and draughts had been assisted. In addition, WFP has provided assistance to 15,900 malnourished pregnant and lactating women and children.