Japan donates flour to WFP operation in Gaza – WFP press release

Japan donates flour to WFP operation in Gaza

JERUSALEM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a Japanese donation of 1,000 metric tons of wheat flour which reached Gaza's hard-hit population.  

The wheat flour, which was purchased in Egypt and transported into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing between Egypt and Gaza, is part of an overall US$1.4 million contribution from Japan to help more than 400,000 Palestinians living in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

 "We are extremely grateful to both Japan and Egypt for making this shipment of food possible," said Arnold Vercken, WFP Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).  

The arrival of the flour in Gaza is both critical and timely. As a result of the sporadic blockades, the halting of funding to the Palestinian Authority and high unemployment, there is a growing number of severely vulnerable people who desperately need food assistance.

Aid agencies have voiced their concern over the deteriorating conditions inside Gaza. WFP plans to increase its caseload by 25 percent to reach 600,000 people in the West Bank and Gaza within the next three months. However, it still does not have enough funds to provide assistance to its current beneficiaries.

Historically, Japan has been one of WFP's top donors and in 2005 alone donated US$161 million worldwide. In oPt, Japan is the third largest donor to WFP's operations.

"Japan continues to be a generous and supportive donor to WFP's work here and in the world," added Vercken..

Japan's contribution has also been used to purchase local supplies of wheat flour in the West Bank, where WFP assists over 300,000 people.

Despite the generosity of the Japanese government, however, funding shortfalls have become a huge constraint on WFP's work in the Palestinian territory. The humanitarian agency has no money beyond July to pay for its current US$81 million operation, which is so far only 33 percent funded.

In its two-year operation, which ends in August 2007, WFP is providing food aid for non-refugee Palestinians. Donors to date include: the European Commission (US$13.9 million), the United States (US$7.9 million), Japan (US$1.4 million), France (US$1.2 million), Norway (US$450,000), Austria (US$300,000), Switzerland (US$250,000) and Italy (US$70,000). A further US$800,000 has been received in multilateral donations, as well as US$13,000 from the private sector.

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Kirstie Campbell, WFP/Jerusalem, Tel. +972-2-541340/1/2, Mob. +972-577268229

Khaled Mansour, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +20-5381730, Mob. +20-122348671

Mia Turner, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +20-2-5281730, Mob. +20-122455769

Brenda Barton, Deputy Director of Communications, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39-06-65132602, Cell. +39-3472582217

Christiane Berthiaume, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41-22-9178564, Mob. +41-792857304

Trevor Rowe, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-212-9635196, Mob. +1-6468241112, rowe@un.org

Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel.. +44-20-72409001, Mob. +44-7968-008474

Jennifer Parmelee, WFP/Washington, Tel. +1-202-6530010 ext. 1149, Mob. +1-202-4223383