Sweden commits record $370m of aid to UN World Food Programme

Rome, Feb 3 (IANS/AKI) Sweden and the United Nations World Food Programme on Friday signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement committing an unprecedented $370 million dollars to WFP over the next four years, the agency said, hailing the Scandinavian nation as a global leader in aid.

The contribution for the period 2018-2021 is the biggest ever made by a donor within a WFP Strategic Partnership Agreement, WFP underlined.

For almost a decade, the Swedish government has been the largest donor of flexible funds to WFP whereas 90 per cent of government funding to WFP is earmarked for specific operations or activities, the agency said.

"Sweden's extremely generous contribution provides WFP with one of the largest amounts of flexible and predictable funding any country has ever given us, enabling us to save lives at any given place and at any given time," said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.

"The people and the government of Sweden help us bring hope to millions of people, including the most vulnerable people caught up in some of the world's most heart-breaking crises. When it comes to saving lives and changing lives, Sweden is a global leader."

The Swedish contribution comes at a time of record need as the world faces the worst humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II, with multiple large-scale hunger emergencies occurring across the planet, WFP said.

For the first time in a decade, the number of hungry people in the world is increasing and the majority of world's hungry people now live in countries affected by conflict, WFP said.

Ten of the 13 largest food crises on the planet are driven mainly by conflict, said WFP.

"Food assistance is one of the most critical ways to respond to famine and save lives in acute emergency situations," said Sweden's International Development Minister and Deputy Premier Isabella Loevin.

"As part of our partnership, we are working closely with WFP to develop sustainable approaches to save livelihoods," she added.

--IANS/AKI

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