WFP welcomes Kuwait contribution to food assistance for Iraqis in Mosul

ROME, 16 Dec. - (ANA) – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$3 million from the Government of Kuwait to provide emergency food assistance for thousands of Iraqi families affected by the ongoing crisis in Mosul.

This contribution will allow WFP to provide vital food assistance for 140,000 people for one month through cash-based transfers (CBT), which enable families to buy the food items they prefer. WFP supports an increasing number of families all over Iraq with unrestricted cash or e-vouchers to spend in designated stores each month. Planning, delivery and evaluation of CBT and monthly food rations is carried out through an electronic SCOPE platform.

“We are grateful for the contribution from the State of Kuwait, which will help us provide food assistance to people who have either been displaced or are otherwise affected by the conflict,” said Sally Haydock, Country Director and Representative of WFP in Iraq.

More than 3 million Iraqis have been displaced by conflict since mid-June 2014. In response, WFP supports the families who are in need of food assistance with ready-to-eat food, monthly food rations, cash, and e-vouchers. CBT not only allows families to purchase food of their own choice, it also helps boost the local economy and create local jobs.

Since the onset of the Mosul offensive on 17 October, WFP has assisted around 300,000 people affected by the conflict with ready-to-eat food; more than 225,000 of them have also received monthly food rations.

WFP provides assistance on a monthly basis to displaced or otherwise affected Iraqis in all 18 governorates of the country. In November, WFP assisted 1.4 million people, of whom more than 325,000 received cash or e-vouchers. “The recent contribution underlines the State of Kuwait’s commitment to support WFP’s humanitarian programmes to provide life-saving food assistance to people affected by conflict in Iraq,” Haydock added.

Since 2013, Kuwait has pledged more than US$130 million to support WFP’s humanitarian work in Syria as well as other operations globally including in Iraq, the Philippines, Somalia and North Korea.

The SCOPE platform allows WFP to provide food assistance in a flexible manner, constantly adapting to the changing situation in Iraq. Before getting a SCOPE card, families are registered in WFP’s database. If food is available, families can use their SCOPE card in designated stores to buy the food that they like, swiping it like a bank card when paying. If food is not available, the card allows people to collect monthly food rations at a WFP distribution point. SCOPE cards can also be used to withdraw unrestricted cash. Each family member will have US$17 added to the card every month, thus sustaining the local economy and retailers.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries. - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 16 December 2016 - - -