ROME, Italy, April 6, 2020/ — It is vital at this time of global crisis that WFP maintain its food and cash-based assistance programmes which offer a lifeline to 87 million vulnerable people around the world. WFP is appealing to government partners to accelerate an estimated US$ 1.9 billion of contributions to enable the urgent procurement and pre-positioning of buffer stocks, so that at least three months of assistance can be provided in fragile places.
As part of the UN Global Inter-Agency COVID-19 Response Plan, WFP is calling for US$ 350 million in rapid funding to be able to sustain operations and adjust delivery mechanisms and programmes.
WFP is already assessing the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities and estimates that it may require scaling up operations to as many as 100-120 million people in more than 80 countries.
12 million children supported by WFP school meal programmes are affected by school closures.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
