American food assistance arrived in Yemen

American food assistance arrived in  Yemen

Source: WFP, 03/12/2012

WFP WELCOMES ARRIVAL OF $15 MILLION SHIPMENT OF US WHEAT FOR YEMEN’S HUNGRY POOR

SANA’A – The United Nations World Food Program today welcomed the docking at Hodeidah Port of the bulk carrier Liberty Glory, which has started to unload 17,000 metric tons of wheat donated by the United States and destined to feed hundreds of thousands of Yemen’s hungry poor.

The wheat shipment, worth US$ 15 million, was donated by the United States Government’s Food For Peace office to support WFP activities in Yemen, in particular the agency’s delivery of emergency food rations to severely food insecure households.

“There’s enough food in that shipment to feed 800,000 hungry Yemenis for the next six months,” said WFP Country Director Lubna Alaman. “WFP is grateful to the government and the people of the United States for their generosity in providing this timely donation,”

The wheat, which arrived in bulk, is currently being unloaded from the Liberty Glory’s holds, repacked dockside into 50 kilogram bags and stacked onto waiting trucks for delivery to some of the 3.9 million food insecure people who will receive WFP emergency rations this year.

“The U.S. government recognizes the degree of food insecurity in Yemen where millions of people do not have access to sufficient food for basic nutritional needs and standards of wellbeing,” said Gerald Feierstein, U.S. ambassador to Yemen. “The delivery of wheat from the American people represents the commitment of the U.S. government to providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Yemenis.”

A WFP Comprehensive Food Security Survey (CFSS), released in May, found that more than 10 million Yemenis – 44.5 percent of the population – are food insecure. Out of those, more than 5 million Yemenis were found to be severely food insecure – a level of need that means they require food assistance because they are unable to find enough food to feed themselves on a daily basis. WFP has scaled up its operations in Yemen to reach 5.5 million people this year.

The US Government and its agencies have contributed US$ 52 million to support WFP activities in the country during 2012.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.