World Food Program USA Blog

Fight hunger, build peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Josette Sheeran, director of the World Food Programme (WFP), just visited the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She heard first-hand the stories of attacks on civilians, and children being recruited to fight.

WFP is providing food aid to 150,000 people in the North Kivu province who have been displaced by fighting between the government and rebel groups. Sheeran said, "we've heard story after story of tremendous suffering among the people here and violence that has been perpetrated on them — and we condemn that violence and echo the call for increased stability."

read the full article at Examiner.com

Update on Feed the Future and the Roadmap to End Global Hunger

Kayla Auletto of the World Food Program USA recently provided an update on President Obama's Feed the Future initiative, a plan to increase agricultural production in developing countries. This program will be run out of the State Department.

 

read the full article at Examiner.com

College student starts Plumpy'nut Press to fight child malnutrition

During the American Revolution, Thomas Paine spent time in York, Pennsylvania writing The Crisis. This pamphlet series opened with the famous line ..."These are the times that try men's souls."  Some of this series was even printed in York.

 

Today, York is again home to writing and publishing about a major crisis: only this time it's global hunger. York resident Elizabeth Stoltz has started Plumpy'nut Press, a magazine dedicated to the plumpy'nut foods used to save the lives of malnourished children. 

 

Read the full article at Examiner.com
 

Senate needs to back Yemen resolution with food aid

The Senate passed a resolution last year calling for support of Yemen, a country afflicted by Al Qaeda, internal conflict, hunger and poverty. The resolution states that the Senate "supports the innocent civilians in Yemen, especially displaced persons, who have suffered from instability, terrorist operations, and chronic underdevelopment in Yemen."

read the full article at Examiner.com

Al Qaeda, War, Hunger, and Poverty

Al Qaeda, war, hunger, and poverty. Can you imagine all of these threats converging on a nation at the same time? This is exactly what is happening to Yemen in the Middle East.

The Al Qaeda terrorist network has made Yemen a primary base. If they are not stopped, there is fear they could gain strength enough to launch more attacks against the West. Secretary of State Clinton said of the U.S. and Yemen, "We face a common threat from those violent extremists who target civilians without mercy or remorse."

Read the full article at Blogcritics Magazine

Al Qaeda, War, Hunger, and Poverty

Al Qaeda, war, hunger, and poverty. Can you imagine all of these threats converging on a nation at the same time? This is exactly what is happening to Yemen in the Middle East.

The Al Qaeda terrorist network has made Yemen a primary base. If they are not stopped, there is fear they could gain strength enough to launch more attacks against the West. Secretary of State Clinton said of the U.S. and Yemen, "We face a common threat from those violent extremists who target civilians without mercy or remorse."

Read the full article at Blogcritics Magazine

Video: The hunger and poverty crisis in Yemen

The struggle against hunger and poverty in Yemen takes place on many fronts. Yemenis displaced by the conflict in the north depend on the humanitarian assistance of the UN World Food Programme and other aid agencies.

This aid is going to play a vital role in bringing about peace and reconstruction in northern Yemen. However, funding remains low for these relief agencies. 

The struggle against hunger and want goes far beyond northern Yemen and throughout the whole country. The following World Food Programme videos provide some glimpse into this struggle taking place in Yemen today.

Read the full article at Examiner.com

Sahel food crisis underscores need for leadership in fighting hunger

Action Against Hunger is among a coalition of charities calling for a "Surge" to meet the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region of Africa.  In Niger and Chad there are millions of people suffering from hunger.  

In these countries drought has devastated food production and livestock. High food prices have made whatever supply is available out of reach.

 read the full article at Examiner.com

Help Rhode Island company save children from deadly malnutrition

Rhode Island-based Edesia just donated 1,100 boxes of plumpy'nut food to treat malnourished children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The charity Action Against Hunger will distribute this food, which will save many children from deadly malnutrition. Still more food is needed to meet the hunger emergency in the DRC.

Edesia is a non-profit organization in Providence that produces plumpy'nut and other specially enhanced nutritional foods for children. Because donations are not easy for them to obtain, they need the support of citizens and companies in order to provide more life-saving food for children.

Read the full article at Examiner.com

Food plant sits idle as millions of children face starvation

The Providence-based company Edesia produces life-saving foods for children like plumpy'nut and supplementary plumpy.  With the global hunger crisis raging, this non-profit organization wants nothing more than to be producing food at record rates.  So why aren't they?

 

Charities that are fighting hunger are strapped for cash.  Without money, they cannot buy the food from producers like Edesia.  Navyn Salem, Edesia's director, said yesterday, "Our production line is sitting idle right now as many organizations do not have funding to reach all the need. Heartbreaking on all fronts."

 

read the full article at Examiner.com

 

photo courtesy of Action Against Hunger