16 September, 2011

MILLIONS SET TO BENEFIT FROM UN-LUXEMBOURG PARTNERSHIP FOR FOOD AID

MILLIONS SET TO BENEFIT FROM UN-LUXEMBOURG PARTNERSHIP FOR FOOD AID
Millions of victims of humanitarian emergencies, particularly in West Africa, will benefit from a new life-saving partnership signed today between the United Nations and Luxembourg to provide a rapid response in food aid and communications needs.
"This partnership is launched at a critical time in the world – economic and weather shocks continue to challenge the food security of nearly 1 billion people on earth," UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran <"http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/statement-world-food-programme-executive-director-josette-sheeran-new-partnership-">said of the agreement signed by her agency.
"Luxembourg's support for humanitarian assistance and international cooperation is second-to-none," she added, noting that the grand duchy, with a population of some 500,000, is WFP's largest per-capita donor, with more than €15 for every one of its citizens.
Ms. Sheeran stressed that Luxembourg's commitment to sign multi-year partnership agreements with WFP allows for forward planning and flexibility that ensure the most effective deployment hunger tools to fight hunger.
Under the four-year agreement Luxembourg will provide €30.8 million to support emergency response and programmes such as school meals, nutrition activities in West Africa, nutritional support to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis activities and emergency preparedness.
It is also providing an in-kind donation by developing an innovative platform to support telecommunications in emergencies, allowing WFP, as head of the humanitarian community's Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, to set up life-saving voice and data links during quick-onset disasters such as earthquakes and floods as well as other operations around the world.
Sep 15 2011 12:10PM

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