KHARTOUM – (Report from DFID, WFP) The United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) will contribute £32.5 million in support of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) operations in Sudan over the next two years.
WFP and DFID have signed a multi-year funding arrangement that will enable WFP to continue to support internally displaced people in Darfur who have not had regular access to food for many years. DFID support will also provide WFP food assistance to refugees from South Sudan who reside in Sudan.
“Many people in Sudan live day-by-day, forced from their homes and unable to support their families,” said Head of DFID in Sudan Dr. Christopher Pycroft. “This funding will not only help provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance, but will also support them to better withstand conflict and climate-related shocks and stresses, so that they are able to build healthy and productive lives.”
While WFP continues to provide life-saving food assistance in Sudan, the UK contribution will also enhance WFP activities that promote longer-term resilience. More than 1.7 million people will benefit from UK aid through innovative programmes such as Food for Assets, which provides food and vouchers to people as incentives for their participation in capacity-building activities such as water harvesting, infrastructure development and handicrafts.
The DFID contribution will also empower WFP to expand its capacity to provide cash or vouchers so people can buy essential food items and other necessities. Providing cash or vouchers empowers people with the freedom to choose what is most needed and can generate income for local businesses and markets.
This UK aid will also benefit the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), a WFP-operated service for the humanitarian, donor and diplomatic community. UNHAS allows these people to reach project sites in remote and difficult to reach areas across Sudan.
“This historic agreement will enable WFP to strengthen our use of market-based assistance and resilience projects in Sudan,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in Sudan Matthew Hollingworth. “Providing families with cash or vouchers gives them more control over the assistance they receive based on their needs, while projects such as food-for-work help communities to become more self-reliant.”
DFID is a significant donor for WFP in Sudan, contributing £65.5 million since 2012, of which £52 million has been used for cash-based transfers. Thanks to DFID’s innovation fund, WFP launched its first cash programme for 75,000 internally displaced people in Nyala, in South Darfur State.
WFP and DFID are longstanding partners and will continue working in close collaboration to better serve those most in need in Sudan.