KABUL - Thousands of Afghans in the country’s West will benefit from a donation by the Government of Japan to the World Food Programme (WFP) for the purchase of food.

The US$ 5.9 million donation – coordinated by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – will support WFP projects in Ghor and neighbouring provinces.

Ghor is one of the most food insecure provinces in western Afghanistan, and many of its people are highly vulnerable to food shortages – a situation compounded by the region’s remote location, mountainous terrain and extremely harsh winter.

“Japan is greatly concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. We hope that this donation will help improve the living conditions of the people in the highly vulnerable western region,” said Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan Hideo Sato.

“We are deeply grateful for this timely and generous donation from the government of Japan, which strengthens our efforts in supporting the most vulnerable Afghans,” said Stefano Porretti, WFP’s Representative in Afghanistan.

The Japanese contribution will be used to purchase food for projects including WFP’s school meals programme, which aims to boost primary school enrolment, especially among girls, and to help children concentrate in class by making sure they do not have to study on an empty stomach.

The grant will also support food-for-work projects that help develop the region’s infrastructure and training programs for literacy and vocational skills.

Prior to this contribution, the Government of Japan gave US$ 38 million to WFP Afghanistan in 2009.

Website: World Food Programme

www.wfp.org