Source: Australian High Commission - Nigeria |

Australian Support For The UN World Food Programme, 2015-16

ABUJA, Nigeria, February 8, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ --

To address a number of large-scale humanitarian crises facing the international community today, the Australian Government continues to contribute substantially towards the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to help fight world hunger. The WFP allocated US $3 million of Australian contributions to its Nigeria Regional appeal in 2015-16. This money will go towards assisting people in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. During the same period, an additional US $2.4 million was dedicated to existing projects to combat malnutrition in Niger. Australia’s total global contribution to the WFP for 2015-2016 was US $43.3 million.

WFP is the lead United Nations agency for food assistance in emergencies. WFP also works to help prevent hunger and build resilience through programs that use food as a means to build assets and promote economic growth in communities, helping them to become more food secure.

Australia’s contribution to the WFP is being used in all four countries to assist up to 400,000 of the region’s refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and the communities hosting them to gain access to life-saving food assistance. Special attention is being paid to children under five, pregnant women and nursing mothers faced with malnutrition.

The Australian High Commission in Abuja also supports these larger multilateral efforts through its Direct Aid Program (DAP). Over the past two years the High Commission has provided special assistance to persons affected by the Boko Haram insurgency through a number of DAP projects aimed at improving the standard of living in camps and host communities across the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Australian High Commission - Nigeria.