The World Food Programme (WFP) will provide food assistance to Guatemalan families affected by the drought associated with El Niño, using commodities grown by American farmers and supplied through the US Department of Agriculture's Food for Peace programme, WFP said on 16 October.
More than 21,000 families in the departments of Huehuetenango, Quiché, Alta Verapaz, Izabal and Chiquimula will receive kits of staple foods, including fortified rice, black beans, vegetable oil and a fortified supplementary food to help prevent malnutrition.
"Thanks to this partnership, we are able to reach the most vulnerable families and ensure their access to essential staple foods," said Andrew Stanhope, WFP's representative and country director in Guatemala. "Investing in food security today helps communities withstand future crises, protect their livelihoods, and reduce the risk of resorting to negative coping strategies."
WFP said it is working with Guatemala's agriculture ministry, the social development ministry, the food and nutrition security secretariat and the national disaster reduction agency to target the most vulnerable and avoid duplicating government and other humanitarian programmes. The assistance is part of the response to rising acute food insecurity in the country.
Photo: Tomas Castelazo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: WFP
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