EU Contributes $7.8Mln To World Food Program Operations In Sudan - Statement

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2019) The UN World Food Program said in a release on Wednesday that the European Union had contributed $7.8 million to support the agency's emergency operations in Sudan.

"The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has welcomed a top-up contribution of ��7 million [$7.8 million], following the ��6 million [$6.6 million] provided to WFP in 2018," the release said. "Funding will support emergency operations in Sudan from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO)."

The release said European Union funding would aid the World Food Program's nutrition assistance given to malnourished mothers and children in remote areas of Sudan.

Malnutrition in Sudan affects some 1.8 million children under the age of five.

The donation would also bolster cash-based transfers to some 600,000 food-insecure people, including internally displaced persons and refugees across North and South Darfur states, the release said.

Sudan has been affected by multiple conflicts that have severely impacted the humanitarian situation in the country. Earlier this year, the Sudanese military overthrew then-President Omar Bashir amid protests against rising prices. Sudan's economy has been stagnating for a prolonged period and the humanitarian situation in the country has been further exacerbated by continual food and water shortages.