Food from UN World Food Programme Provides Daily Meals in Mogadishu

Beginning in late November the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and SAACID began to provide daily meals in Mogadishu, Somalia.  This marked the WFP's first "wet feeding" in Somalia since 1993.  WFP and SAACID are planning to provide meals to up to 50,000 people each day.

According to a WFP press release, the agency was forced to start this program after fatal shooting incidents halted distributions of WFP dry rations in Mogadishu in June. As one-month rations of dried food are stored in the homes of recipients, they are more likely to be stolen than prepared meals eaten on site.

"The depth and scale of the crisis in Somalia is extremely alarming to us all - in some parts acute malnutrition levels surpass emergency threshold levels," said WFP Somalia Country Director Peter Goossens.  "We urge everyone to respect this vital humanitarian operation, which is feeding the desperately hungry."

Goossens also said that insecurity in Mogadishu was also causing the disruption of markets with consequent hyperinflation. There is a lack of employment, and a shortage of medical and sanitation facilities. Malnutrition rates in the capital are rising, with acute malnutrition rates among children under the age of 5 years estimated to be reaching 15 percent or more.

With food assistance needs rising, WFP is appealing to donors to close a $31 million funding gap. WFP private sector partner YUM! Brands recently announced a $1 million contribution from the funds it raised during its World Hunger Relief Week campaign in October. This is the largest corporate donation to WFP Somalia.  For more information:

• East Africa Crisis (UN World Food Programme)
• End Hunger Blog: Somalia

Comments

[sethu]

While food assistance and raising funds are critical for feeding desperately hungry populations as in Mogadishu, it is also very urgent to implement more sustainable programs.

We have all heard the saying, give a man fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.

A different take on that is...Give a woman fish, she eats for a day, teach a woman how to fish, she and her family eats for a lifetime.

That is where the importance of self help and education comes in. In areas like Mogadishu, it is urgent to not only provide humanitarian services, also to provide services such as microlaons and education.

I recently read an article called "Uncommon Sense" written by the Christopher Dunford president of the development organization, Freedom From Hunger. In it he cites how their organization has helped thousands of women around the world to help them help themseleves by providing micro-credit services combined with information on how to run their businesses better and information on health.

My point is that humanitarian assistance is very very important especially in such dire times.

Today, Oct. 16, 2008 is World Food Day, and in the overwhelming shadow of the world financial crisis, the issue of food, hunger and poverty are just being overlooked.

[African poverty]

...""The depth and scale of the crisis in Somalia is extremely alarming to us all - in some parts acute malnutrition levels surpass emergency threshold levels,"
hunger is just more than we think. Thanks very much for sharing!

[Sha'ylon Davis]

I believe this is a great start on improving world hunger. It takes baby steps to solve such a huge problem that can take years and years to fix. If we can take this direction with all the rest of the third world countries, we might be able to see alot of progress. We need to start with the children, since there the future (the next generation).

[Derrick]

I feel that the continuation of this program and efforts like it, that world hunger will become a thing of the past. The more countries and large corporations we get to help this effort,the better the chance it has to succeed.

[Michael Mansour]

I agree with you derrick but at the same time, we still got a long ways to go.

[Amanda Miller]

I think it's great the United Nations World Food Programme has been providing daily meals to those who desparately need it. If more people cared like this and helped those in need there would be less hunger in this world. This might not be a huge step to ending world hunger but anything helps. We still have a long way to go to end hunger but this is definitely a step in the right direction!

[Lfergu11]

Its horrible that something bad has to happen or order for some type of positive action has to take place! However, 50,000 thousand meals a day to those in need is a great thing, and hopefully the numbers continue to grow and the people can also continue to benefit until they can establish themselves and begin providing for themselves and there families! In order for people to help themselves they must first be helped and I think that this is an amazing way of allowing them to do so!!!

[D. Polk]

It's amazing that they are able to provide 50,000 meals per day. Although it probably doesn't amount to the number of people in need of the meals, it's better than nothing. There are people who would probably try and share theirs too, so everybody wins.

[Lfergu11]

Every little thing helps. There are several third world countries that have organizations set up to feed the hungry. If we could get more industrialized countries to participate we could eventually distinguish the war against world hunger. This is war, and no one country can do it alone. Which is why we need to continue to strive in a positive direction and make efforts to end world hunger. My hope is that one day we can drive shelters out of business!!

[Molly Martin]

"The depth and scale of the crisis in Somalia is extremely alarming to us all - in some parts acute malnutrition levels surpass emergency threshold levels," I think this is a very meaningful quote. Hunger is so much more than we think, it is very severe. I think it is phenomenal that 50,000 meal can be given out in one single day. Taking steps such as these are still movement in the correct direction.

[chanel bags]

Today, with the development of science and technology, the internet is beginning to play a more and more important role in our life. More and more people are staring to use the intent. Thanks to the intent which make me lives so wonderful.

[Pretreatment]

I feel that this is a great step towards ending world hunger, and helping those in need! This is the 4th annual menu for hope, and I hope and pray actions such as this menu for hope continues and someday I will read about a 25th and then 50th annual menu for hope. Whoever can do so should donate as much as they can to benefit the menu for hope, it is a great thing and I would like to see it continue to grow.

[Bradley V]

This is a great step towards ending hunger. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making it such a successful event. With this being such a success I think you will read about the 50th annual Menu for Hope.

[Noelle Lucia Vinciguerra]

This is a great way to begin to end world hunger, I think it is wonderful that they are able to feed over 50,000 people each day. That right there is a blessing, and everyone who helped out is responsible for saving these people's lives. I hope this organization expands through out the years and hopefully ond day it will be able to get rid of all of world hunger. I wish I could say that I helped out in this factor, but I did not, I can say thought that I helped out with a food drive my English class just held and it was more successful than I thought it was going to be. It did feel good to know that I helped out families in need of food.

[Converse chuck taylor all star]

YES! I finally found this web page! I've been looking just for this article for so long!!