Australia and WFP work together to stamp out hunger
30 May, 2012
Senator Carr met the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin, at Parliament House in Canberra during her first official visit to Australia.
Photo: AUSPIC for AusAID
Food distribution of maize, pulses and corn-soy blend for new Somali arrivals at the Ifo refugee reception centre, Dadaab, northern Kenya. Photo: Scott Kelleher/AusAID
Australia will provide the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) with an additional $25 million to support its mission to alleviate hunger in the developing world.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr made the announcement during the visit to Canberra of Ertharin Cousin, the new Executive Director of WFP. Ms Cousin only recently took up the post on 5 April 2012 and made Australia one of her first stops to express her appreciation for our continued support.
Senator Carr met Ms Cousin met at Parliament House today and discussed issues including crises in the Sahel region of West Africa and South Sudan.
Minister Carr also confirmed Australia is monitoring the situation in Syria should further aid, including food supplies, be required.
Earlier in the day, Ms Cousin met with AusAID Director General Peter Baxter, who reiterated Australia’s commitment to the WFP’s life-saving activities in emergency situations. WFP is one of our most effective partners, having performed strongly in the 2012 Australian Multilateral Assessment (AMA).
Of the $25 million committed to the WFP today:
- $10 million will go to support priority countries in the Sahel region of West Africa
- $5 million will go to the WFP to provide food and logistics support in South Sudan, and
- $10 million will go to WFP operations in Pakistan.
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Last Reviewed: 30 May, 2012