WFP members urged to unite against food crisis

109 million people on verge of famine: Beasley

ROME, Nov 14, (KUNA): Kuwait representative to UN’s World Food Programme, Yusuf Jhail called on WFP member countries on Monday to unite and initiate dialogue over major issues facing food and agriculture.

Jhail, addressing WFP’s Executive Council’s annual meeting in Rome, said the council members were following with interest ongoing discussions over UN reforms which would help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, specially the eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

Jhail was presiding the meeting, attended by 36 member countries and other organizations, which was due until Nov 16.

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said the world was witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, while WFP was trying to deal with major emergencies around the globe.

He said WFP, which was established to address an urgent incident, has been expanding its role due to the repeated crises.

WFP, which was facing financial strains, was engaged with the UN Secretary General and leaders of international organizations to draw a full-fledged plan and national strategies to better address humanitarian crises, he said.

Beasley said nature of crises has changed because conflicts in the ones in Somalia, Syria and Yemen were “dragging year after the other.” Beasley hoped WFP would receive $6.8 billion for its 2018-19 programs, which would nevertheless not be enough because there were 109 million people on the verge of famine.

He said WFP needed $9 billion in funding to help the needy people around the world.

WFP is offering food aid for around 80 million people in more than 80 countries.