USAID donates $3.39mn to WFP for assisting drought-affected people in Zambia

The United States Agency for International Development has made a contribution of USD 3.39 million to the United Nations World Food Programme. The objective of this contribution is to meet the immediate food requirements of drought-affected people in Zambia.

The support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) comes at a moment of increasing needs, after drought and prolonged dry spells have left 2.3 million people severely food insecure and in need of assistance. Through this funding, World Food Programme (WFP) will deliver 2,380 MT of pulses to complement the Government’s maize for three months, giving 255,000 drought-affected people across the country the food and nutritional assistance they need.

“WFP requires USD 36 million to effectively support the Government in responding to the crisis. USAID’s contribution represents approximately 10 percent of the total needs and will allow WFP to ensure that drought-affected people will not go to bed hungry during this year’s lean season,” WFP’s Country Representative in Zambia, Jennifer Bitonde opined.

WFP is currently supporting the government’s response by delivering government-supplied maize meal, as well as by procuring and delivering pulses to ensure a nutrition-sensitive food basket. WFP is also working closely with partners to monitor food distributions and guarantee that resources reach those most in need.

About 1.1 million people are expected to receive WFP’s support, while the remaining 1.2 million will be assisted by the Government and other partners with whom WFP is working.

The United States is also one of the main donors to WFP’s response in support of the refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is the other component of WFP’s crisis response in Zambia. In 2019, WFP supported about 14,000 refugees. “We are thankful for the United States’ continuous collaboration and efforts towards achieving Zero Hunger in Zambia,” cited Jennifer Bitonde.