The U.S. Government Provides a $13 Million Contribution to the World Food Programme
For Food Assistance In the West Bank and Gaza
Published on 07 July 2015
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) West Bank and Gaza Mission (WBG) is providing a $13 million U.S. contribution to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for food assistance in the West Bank and Gaza.
This contribution will enable WFP to provide 95,000 food-insecure people in Gaza with more than 6,700 metric tons of food assistance. In addition, this money will be used for food distributions to 41,500 people in the West Bank and to support the electronic food voucher program benefiting 50,000 people there. These activities not only allow an immediate response to the humanitarian needs in Gaza, but also provide continued support to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza who struggle to buy or produce enough food to live a normal, healthy life. In addition, the electronic voucher project in the West Bank is an innovative way to provide food assistance while supporting resilient societies as well as the development of small businesses and the local economy through locally sourced foods.
Prior to this $13 million commitment, U.S. contributions to WFP since July 2014 have totaled more than $19 million, providing more than 15,000 metric tons of food to some half a million vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. These results are due to the excellent partnership between the USAID and WFP who have worked together in the West Bank and Gaza for more than a decade. The U.S.-funded food assistance activities are implemented in the West Bank in Gaza by WFP in partnership with the U.S. NGO, Global Communities.
The U.S. Government, through USAID, is the leading provider of bilateral development assistance to the Palestinians, having provided more than $4.6 billion since 1994 for programs in the areas of education; health and humanitarian assistance; private enterprise; democracy and governance; and water resources and infrastructure.
For more information on U.S. assistance, please contact USAID Press Office at wbgpro@usaid.gov or call 03-5114845.
Document Sources: World Food Programme (WFP)
Country: United States of America
Subject: Assistance, Food, Humanitarian relief, Poverty
Publication Date: 07/07/2015