WFP Secures $118 Million for Displaced Families Across Africa
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Nairobi, Dec 13 (NationPress) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has secured $118 million to provide life-saving assistance to over 1 million displaced people in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Laurent Bukera, the WFP's regional director for eastern Africa, stated that the number of displaced individuals in the region has surged to 26.5 million in 2024, a notable increase from 13.2 million in 2020.
Those who have been stripped of their homes and means of living make up a significant portion of the population that WFP intends to assist across eastern Africa, according to reports from Xinhua news agency, citing Laurent Bukera.
"This funding is essential to ensure we can continue our support for these vulnerable displaced individuals, many of whom depend almost entirely on humanitarian aid for survival," Bukera expressed in a statement released in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The food programme organization indicated that the rise in displacement is primarily attributed to conflict, particularly the ongoing war in Sudan, which has driven unprecedented numbers of people from their homes, as well as severe weather events like the 2020-2023 Horn of Africa drought.
WFP data shows that the increase in the displaced population in recent years has not been matched by a corresponding rise in resources, compelling WFP to make challenging decisions regarding who receives food aid and in what quantity.
Moreover, the WFP has urged for timely contributions to facilitate cash transfers and in-kind food assistance for over 1 million displaced individuals, which includes refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, internally displaced persons, and certain food-insecure host communities.
"None of the displaced individuals supported by WFP in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, or Uganda are receiving a complete ration (equivalent to 2,100 kilocalories) due to funding constraints," the WFP stated.
