UN World Food Programme "Rice Aid to 4 Million People in 6 Countries... Thank You Korea"

"Successful Annual Consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) expressed gratitude to South Korea for donating rice sufficient for 4 million people in six countries affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

On the 7th, the WFP Korea office announced that it held an annual consultation meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 4th to review a year of cooperative activities. The meeting was attended by top officials, including directors and deputy directors, from WFP offices in six countries: Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Syria, and Laos.

Since 2018, South Korea has provided 50,000 tons of rice. Initially supporting four countries?Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda?it added Syria and Laos this year. Saynab Ibrahim, a Somali refugee in Ethiopia who received Korean rice, said, "When cooked with beans, it becomes a nutritious and hearty meal I can provide to my six children," expressing gratitude to Korea. Mumina Abdi, a WFP beneficiary in Kenya, said, "The rice you provide is our only food source," and requested, "Please help Korean rice reach more people." Hare, who volunteers for school meals in Laos, said, "Korean rice is easy to cook and requires less water and cooking time," smiling brightly as she added, "The children have fallen in love with the taste of Korean rice." Om Ammar from Syria said, "We rely entirely on WFP for food, and we cannot afford to buy even 1 kg of Korean rice," and wished, "May God bless the Korean people who have extended help to us who have lost everything."

Karin Manente, Director of Government Partnerships at WFP Headquarters, said, "The Republic of Korea is a key partner of WFP, and through this strategic and timely donation, 4 million beneficiaries were able to alleviate hunger and gain strength to overcome the crisis." Director Manente added, "Korea is a model case that has achieved zero hunger through WFP’s food and development support and has become a major donor to WFP in just one generation." Lee Sangman, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "As a member of the international community, the ministry plans to continuously expand international cooperative agricultural official development assistance (ODA)," and added, "We hope the hopes of the beneficiaries introduced by WFP and Korea’s warmth will be delivered to more people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.