World Food Program

Context- Recently India and the World Food Programme (WFP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), paving the way for the delivery of 10,000 metric tons of wheat to the Afghan people.

Key Highlights 

• Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the World Food Program (WFP) signed the agreement in Mumbai, where the WFP assured that it had the infrastructure necessary to expedite wheat delivery to the most disadvantaged Afghans.
• The fifth tranche, which will be delivered via Iran’s Chabahar port, builds on the WFP’s assistance for Afghanistan’s most in need.
• In Afghanistan, the World Food Program had a “massive supply chain” and logistics infrastructure that could help ensure that those who need it the most and no one is excluded.

India’s Contribution 

• India has kept its word, standing by the historic ties that have existed between the people of the two countries as well as the immediate requirements on the ground.
• The Indian declaration that 20,000 MT of wheat would be transported through the Iranian Chabahar port was the impetus for the MoU, which was made a month ago at the India Central Asia Joint Working Group on Afghanistan.
• The decision indicated that India would not utilize the transit route over Pakistan to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, such as food and medicines.
• India’s assistance is a crucial component of WFP’s assistance to millions of Afghans and has served as a lifeline for families in need.
• India has not perceived the Taliban government in Kabul which assumed responsibility in August 2021 through a speedy military mission that unfurled close by the withdrawal of the American powers in Afghanistan.
• India, on the other hand, has maintained that it needs “unimpeded access” to the Afghan people in order to guarantee that the humanitarian aid that is being sent to them does not get diverted to tribal warlords or local Taliban leaders.
• The World Food Program (WFP) expressed appreciation for India’s initiative, stating that Afghanistan’s crisis is “unprecedented” due to the combination of decades of conflict, drought, an economic crisis, and the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck northeast Afghanistan last month.

About World Food Program 

• The World Food Programme (WFP) is the most prominent humanitarian organization that works with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience as well as provide food assistance in times of emergency.
• It was established in 1961 by the Food and Agribusiness Organization (FAO) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its central command in Rome, Italy.
• Additionally, it is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UN SDG), which is a coalition of UN agencies and organizations working toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• By 2030, the international community has pledged to eradicate hunger, ensure food security, and enhance nutrition.
• The World Food Program (WFP) helps people who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict or natural disasters by providing them with food that can save their lives.

What goals are being pursued?

• WFP focuses not only on development and rehabilitation assistance but also on emergency assistance.
• It spends two-thirds of its time working in conflict-affected nations, where malnutrition is three times more common than anywhere else.
• It collaborates closely with the two other UN agencies based in Rome:
• The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which provides funding for projects in impoverished rural areas, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which assists nations in drafting policy and modifying legislation to support sustainable agriculture.
  • to safeguard access to food in order to end hunger.
  • Further developing nourishment and accomplishing food security.
  • assisting in the SDG implementation and working together to achieve its results.

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