United Nations Word Food Programme – World Food Day

Photo credit: World Food Programme Website
Photo credit: World Food Programme Website

This Wednesday, October 16th, is the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP)’s World Food Day!

What is World Food Programme (WFP)?

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds around 90 million people in 80 countries. WFP is in the frontline of fighting against hunger, and they save lives by getting food to the hungry fast.

Which emergencies do WFP respond to? 

WFP responds to 5 major emergencies: Ebola, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, and Central African Republic.

What is World Food Day?

United Nations WFP marked October 16th as World Food Day, by highlighting both the challenges around the world and the real progress being made toward “zero hunger”. According to The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014 report, the total number of hungry people in the world is down by 37 million, to 805 million, and 63 countries have reached international hunger-reduction targets before 2015, proof of the progress possible when governments, humanitarian organizations and the private sector come together to make lasting change.

The theme for this year’s World Food Day is “family farming“, one of the many ways WFP is supporting local economies to build self-sufficiency and people to achieve zero hunger in their communities. Here are few of the ways WFP is helping an average of 90 million people a year focus on their futures:

  • Providing emergency food assistance to people affected by natural and manmade disasters, such as outbreak of Ebola in West African and the civil conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic, and South Sudan
  • Running or supporting school meals programs in remote places, giving roughly 20 million of the poorest children a chance at a brighter future
  • Prioritizing the purchase of food in developing countries and from family and small-scale farmers to support local economies
  • Partnering with companies and organizations around the world to improve WFP operations, create innovative solution and raise funds and awareness

For more information, please visit www.wfp.org/WorldFoodDay

or follow UN World Food Program on Twitter @wfp

Let’s work together towards “Zero hunger”!

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