France donates $1 million to WFP in Yemen [Archives:2006/933/Local News]
SANA'A, March 28 ) The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) welcomed a $1 million French donation for its projects in Yemen to assist more than 250,000 impoverished citizens, as well as 14,000 Somali refugees.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity and timing of this donation. Until now, we have been constrained by severe shortfalls in funding,” said Mohammed El-Khouthene, WFP representative in Yemen.
“I hope the French donation will contribute to promoting education of girls and eradicating malnutrition. At the same time, we are pleased that WFP is maximizing our support by earmarking $300,000 to assist Somali refugees, whose humanitarian situation is also of concern to France,” French Ambassador to Yemen Alain Moureau said.
Of the $1 million donation, some $700,000 will be targeted to support the WFP's girls' education program, while the remaining $300,000 will be allocated to support the nutritional well-being of 30,500 citizens.
“Educating girls is essential. They are the future of this country as mothers, teachers and active members of society. They ensure that the population is educated and the country can move forward,” El-Khouthene stated.
At a cost of $47 million, WFP's current five-year operation in Yemen launched in 2002 and emphasizes supporting basic education and nutrition, particularly among women and children. The U.N. agency also runs a separate $3 million operation to assist the most vulnerable Somali refugees living in Yemen.
WFP's operation particularly focuses on girls' education by providing parents a food ration as an incentive to send their daughters to school. Under its current operation, 70 percent of the agency's resources are focused on providing assistance to 100,000 girls in 1,300 rural schools located in Yemen's poorest rural areas. Results have been impressive, with an increased enrollment rate for girls, stable attendance and a reduced number of dropouts.
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