Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 17 November 2021

WFP

JOINT NEWS RELEASE

‎KSRELIEF SUPPORTS LIFESAVING WFP OPERATIONS IN JORDAN AND ‎PAKISTAN ‎

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a timely and generous contribution ‎of US$16.8 million from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to assist ‎Syrian refugees in Jordan and to support nutrition programmes for women and children in Pakistan.‎

The contribution, signed in Rome by WFP Executive Director David Beasley and KSrelief’s Supervisor-‎General, His Excellency Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, comes as WFP struggles to secure funds to continue ‎support to some 465,000 vulnerable refugees in Jordan – most of them from Syria - and to assist more ‎than 66,000 of the most vulnerable children and women in Pakistan.‎

Out of the donation, US$12.8 million, will be allocated to help meet the monthly food needs of 112,000 ‎Syrian refugees living in camps in Jordan for four months; and US$ 4 million will support WFP’s nutrition ‎programmes in 14 of the most vulnerable districts of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad ‎Jammu Kashmir (AJK).‎

‎“Building on our long-lasting and strong partnership with WFP, KSrelief reconfirms its commitment to join ‎hands with WFP to address food insecurity and improve the health and living conditions of vulnerable ‎communities around the world. We understand that, now more than ever, it is our primary responsibility ‎to come together and increase our efforts, to deploy more impactful and long-lasting sustainable ‎solutions to fight hunger, restore dignity and provide hope,” said His Excellency Al Rabeeah, speaking ‎from Rome where he addressed the opening session of WFP’s Executive Board meeting. ‎

‎“The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic fallout have pushed the most vulnerable ‎communities in Jordan and Pakistan deeper into poverty. Many of them are struggling to survive day-to-‎day. They cannot cope without assistance,” said Beasley. “We are grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ‎and its people for this contribution which will allow WFP to continue providing vital support where it is ‎needed most.”‎

In Jordan, the funds will enable WFP to continue providing monthly assistance to Syrian refugees living in ‎Zaatari, Azraq, and King Abdulla Park camps through food-restricted e-vouchers. These vouchers – ‎operated with blockchain technology – are loaded with 23 Jordanian Dinars (US$32.49) per person each ‎month enabling families to buy their choice of food at camp supermarkets and bakeries. ‎

In Pakistan, the contribution will ensure integrated and lifesaving nutrition services to more than 66,000 ‎acutely malnourished children under five and to pregnant and lactating women as part of WFP’s ‎programme for community-based management of acute malnutrition. The services will be carried ‎through the Government’s primary health care system, using 186 health facilities.‎

The contribution will ensure specialized nutritious food is provided for vulnerable women and children in ‎‎14 priority districts for a period of one year. It will also strengthen the capacity to screen and treat ‎malnutrition in community health care facilities and enhance the preparedness and safety measures for ‎targeted programmes to prevent malnutrition.‎

The strong partnership between WFP and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia goes back to 1973 and witnessed ‎a historic transformation with the establishment of KSrelief in 2015. WFP has been one of the center’s ‎strongest and most effective partners in addressing challenges caused by hunger, food insecurity and ‎the devastating effects of malnutrition. Since its inception, KSrelief has contributed USD 1.23 billion to ‎WFP for food assistance programs in 24 countries. ‎

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About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest ‎humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, ‎stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.‎

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media ‎

About KSrelief

The purpose of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KSrelief) is to provide humanitarian aid and relief to those ‎in need outside of the Kingdom’s borders. The center’s activities are founded upon noble fundamental humanitarian ‎goals and principles. KSrelief's activities are founded upon noble fundamental humanitarian goals and principles. ‎Elements needed to carry out our programs include the detailed monitoring of all aid, the highly coordinated and ‎advanced transportation of aid through highly trusted UN agencies and local and international non-profit ‎organizations in the recipient countries

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):‎

Zeina Habib, WFP/GCC, Mob: +971 52 4724971‎

Mahira Afzal, WFP/Islamabad, Mob. +92 300 8559 333‎

Reem Nada, WFP/Cairo, WFP MENA, Mob. +20 106 6663 4522‎

Martin Penner, WFP/ Rome, Tel. +39 345 6142074

Tomson Phiri, WFP/ Geneva, Mob. +41 79 842 8057‎

Jane Howard, WFP/ London, Tel. +44 (0)20 3857 7413, Mob. +44 (0)796 8008 474

Martin Rentsch, WFP/Berlin, Tel +49 (0)30 206 1 4929, Mob +49 160 99 26 17 30

Shaza Moghraby, WFP/New York, Mob. + 1 929 289 9867‎

Steve Taravella, WFP/ Washington, Mob.  +1 202 770 5993