MARAWI CITY - Filipino farmers affected by fighting in Marawi are to receive food assistance from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This has been made possible by a P12.4 million contribution from the Government of Italy to WFP.
“Italy stands with the Philippine Government in its efforts to assist the people of Marawi,” said Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino. “Our partnership with the World Food Programme will support the food needs of thousands of Filipinos as they rebuild their lives.”
Fighting broke out in Marawi City in May 2017 between government forces and armed militant groups linked to Islamic State. WFP has since been supporting the Government of the Philippines by addressing the nutrition needs of conflict-affected communities.
WFP will support 1,600 displaced farmers and their families over a period of three months, providing them with food assistance in exchange for their participation in agricultural activities to restore community assets.
And WFP, in collaboration with its partners, will also implement training in support of rice and corn production, bio-intensive and vegetable gardening, as well as inland fishpond tilapia farming — incorporating basic nutrition and food security sessions.
Partners include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
“WFP is grateful to the Government of Italy for this generous contribution, which will sustain ongoing relief and recovery operations to address the food needs of communities affected by the Marawi crisis,” said Stephen Gluning, WFP Representative and Country Director. “Thanks to Italian support, WFP will be able to provide rice to more than 8,000 people, complementing the Philippine Government’s operations.”
Nine months after the start of armed conflict in Marawi, the Philippine government and WFP have distributed rice to some 128,000 people and provided school meals to more than 57,000 students in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur where displaced people affected by the conflict have relocated.
WFP said it is mobilizing additional resources to cover the needs of its current operations until May, including early recovery activities that involve food and cash-based assistance. (Mindanao Examiner)
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