World Food Programme to phase out external food aid

Tamale, June 1, GNA- The World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the government of Ghana is committed to phasing out external food aid in the country by 2010. In addition, the WFP would purchase 60 percent of the commodities to be used in community-based feeding programmes within the country and thereby support the Ghanaian farmer.

Mr. Etienne Labande, a representative of the WFP announced these at this years "End hunger: walk the world", in Tamale on Sunday. The event, which is an annual affair, aimed at supporting the WFP to raise funds to feed children in pre-schools, primary and Junior High Schools, last year generated over US 20,000 dollars. Mr. Labande said the WFP was also supporting the promotion, procurement and distribution of locally produced fortified commodities such as corn soy blend, iodised salt and palm oil, which contained vitamins and minerals.

He said, this years, "End hunger: Walk world", aims to raise funds for the WFP to provide school meals to 59 million children worldwide, who attend school hungry everyday.

"Providing these meals is a critical safety net to poor families who desperately need help in this time of hardship... "Hunger continues to be the greatest threat to health worldwide, killing a child every six seconds. Every year more people die from hunger and hunger related causes than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined", Mr. Labande said. He said the recent worldwide high commodity and fuel prices coupled with an increase in natural disasters, threaten to wipe out any gains made against hunger in recent years, adding: "With these developments it is likely that the number of hungry people in the world would increase further".

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, who launched the "Walk world" said the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) and the Capitation grant implemented by the government had gone a long way to increase enrolment in schools and also served as a means to provide the local farmer with some income. He said arrangements were been made with one of the country's development partners for the GSFP to cover all schools in the country in the very near future.