Preliminary results of a Harvard University analysis show that globally, every dollar spent on a school meals program can bring returns of as much as $20.
The locust upsurge affecting East Africa is a graphic and shocking reminder of this region’s vulnerability. Yet as ancient as this scourge is, its scale today is unprecedented in modern times.
Hunger is projected to get progressively worse between now and July, due mainly to depleted food stocks and high food prices. “The food security situation is dire,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Country Director.
Airstrikes and armed clashes in northwest Syria have displaced over 800,000 people since December 2019 – 80% of whom are women and children. Many families were forced to flee on foot in the middle of winter, with temperatures at night reaching 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Experts forecast that close to 4.8 million people in the Central Sahel will be at risk of food insecurity during the lean season (June-August 2020) if no appropriate actions are taken urgently.
Only 5% of WFP’s total contributions in 2019 were unearmarked. The decrease goes against the aspirations of the 2016 agreement known as the “Grand Bargain.”
“This hunger crisis is on a scale we’ve not seen before and the evidence shows it’s going to get worse,” said Lola Castro, WFP’s Regional Director for Southern Africa.
Each voucher will provide a family with a two-month supply of food – including meat, fish and fresh produce – and the ability to purchase other essential household items.
Through this funding, WFP will deliver 2,380 metric tons of beans to complement the Government’s corn supply for three months, giving 255,000 drought-affected people across the country the food and nutritional assistance they need.
The sheer scale and complexity of the challenges in Africa and other regions will stretch the resources and capacity of WFP and other agencies to the limit.
