More Funding Needed for Food Crisis
WFP, IMF and Private Sectors Have Committed Billions to Food Prices
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rome summit held in June released a statement that said the estimated cost of the food program is $30 billion dollars. In the June 3rd release Director-General of the FAO sharply criticized wealthy nations for cutting spending on agricultural programs for the world’s poor, while spending billions of dollars on carbon markets, subsidies for their own farmers, weapons and biofuel production.
Funding to deal with the world food crisis is coming from the International Monetary Fund(IMF), UN World Food Program (WFP) that falls under the FAO, and members of the public and private sectors, but food prices are so high that funding has increased or being stretched.
The IMF on June 20th, 2008 said that it had approved $26.5 million in additional funding to Haiti to help the Caribbean country cope with high food and fuel prices.
Reuters reported that the funding is part of a total disbursement to Haiti of $38.7 million under the country's three-year IMF program. The IMF said the program had been modified for the rest of the year to reflect the impact from the price shock. Haiti in the past months has seen rioting because of the rising cost of food prices.
At the Rome summit, the World Food Program announced that they were going extend their school children feeding program through to the summer months to help the nation cope with the commodity price shock.
Josette Sheeran said that this meant the World Food Program budget, already increased, would have to rise further this year. Sheeran told Reuters in an interview that "in very vulnerable countries, the kids can't be cut off in the summer months in this time of need."
With 22 countries "vulnerable" to the threat of the food crisis the World Food Program committed $11.5 billion to the aid the problem, but still funding across the world has been expanded.
The 22 nations that are vulnerable to the high food crisis threat are: Eritrea, Burundi, Comoros, Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Haiti, Zambia, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Cambodia, North Korea, Rwanda, Botswana, Niger, Kenya.
In Ethiopia the WFP announced on July 3rd, 2008 that it is expanding its operations to feed 4.6 million people in Ethiopia, in response to the Horn of Africa nation's pressing appeal for help in stopping hunger-related deaths.
WFP currently provides food aid for over 3 million people in the country, and is pleading for contributions to step up its program. The agency faces a nearly 400,000 metric ton food shortfall from July through December and must also repay over $30 million in internal advances.
On July 9, 2008 the United NAtions and the Government of Afghanistan appealed for just over $400 million to feed 4.5 million people in Afghanistan.
The funds from the appeal will provide food aid for some 450,000 homes throughout the country. It will aid 300,00 farming families with vital livestock and agricultural assistance. The appeal will also provide safe drinking water, promote good hygiene and improe disease control.
Apart from lacking in aid moving the food aid throughout violence ridden countries is proving to be a hinderance for the WFP.
In Somalia a truck driver delivering aid for the WFP was gunned down in southern Somalia, this attack was the fourth agency loss this year.
The WFP is feeding some 2.4 million Somalis per month for the rest of the year.
WFP Country Director Peter Goosens said "WFP food is reaching many people but our drivers are risking their lives to deliver it."
The WFP, IMF and public and private sectors have committed billions to aid the countries that are most "vulnerable" to suffering from the food crisis. The global food crisis is at the top of the agenda when the General Assembly meets for its 62nd session in September.
