The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D, has provided €20m as an advance payment of Ireland’s 2017 contribution to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). This is in addition to Ireland’s 2016 contribution of €20 million which was paid in July.
WFP is a United Nations organisation responsible for the delivery of food assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world partnering with other United Nations agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector to enable people, communities and countries to meet their own food needs.
It is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and is funded exclusively from voluntary contributions. In addition to DAFM’s core funding of WFP, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also provides funding to WFP for crisis programmes in specific countries and regions.
Ireland has a strategic partnership agreement with the WFP for the years 2016 to 2018.
Minister Creed said, "This advance brings total Overseas Development Aid spending by my Department to €43 million this year. In addition to payment of Ireland’s annual subscription to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), my Department will also support specific worthwhile projects including - FAO’s emergency support for vulnerable farm households in the Syria region, projects building agricultural value chains and reducing food loss and waste in Africa and a number of initiatives on climate change and sustainable agriculture."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
