WFP Called on Donors for U.S. $4 million to Provide the Neediest

PanARMENIAN.Net - As bitterly cold weather keeps its grip on the Caucasus region, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that due to a lack of funding, it has run out of most food commodities for the 110,000 people it assists in Armenia. WFP urgently called on donors for more than US $4 million to provide the neediest with food aid over the next six months. Starting in early January, WFP has only been providing flour for 65,000 people, most of whom are rural primary school children and the elderly. While some 45,000 people, including 5,000 kindergarten children, received no assistance whatsoever last month. For the next six months - the most vulnerable in terms of food security - WFP needs 6,000 tons of food (or more than US$4 million) to complete its two-year operation in Armenia, which started in June 2004, costing about US$11 million. WFP's donors include Switzerland (US$1 million); United States (US$1 million); Sweden (US$534,119); Japan (US$340,000); Private (US$223,000); the Netherlands (US$152,010); Greece (US$135,686); Denmark (US$94,000); Canada (US$43,414).