Spain Helps WFP To Support People Affected By Mosul Conflict
MADRID – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a contribution of €700,000 (US$790,000) from the Government of Spain that will be used to provide food assistance for some 34,000 people affected by the recent conflict in Mosul, Iraq.
The contribution from Spain will be used to provide one month of cash assistance to families displaced by conflict near Mosul and those living in camps in Dohuk. Each family member will receive €15 (US$17) so they can purchase food and cover other basic needs.
“WFP appreciates the generous contribution from Spain in the aftermath of the battle for Mosul, which has left thousands of families displaced and in urgent need of relief,” said Sally Haydock, WFP Representative in Iraq.
As many displaced and vulnerable families are unable to meet their basic food requirements, the Spanish contribution will allow them to purchase the food they need from local markets.
Cash assistance has the advantage of giving families the choice to decide what to purchase. Cash can also have a positive impact on the economy as local shops and producers benefit from increased demand for their products.
“Spain is deeply committed to Iraq, which has been declared as a level 3 emergency, the highest level for humanitarian emergencies. This contribution is aligned with the position of the European Union and the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit,” highlighted Fernando García Casas, Secretary of State of International Cooperation and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean. “From 2014 to 2017, the response of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation in Iraq has been translated into almost €5 million.”
Since 2014, Spain has provided €1.8 million (US$2 million) of these resources to WFP in order to provide food assistance to vulnerable families in Iraq.
Since the fighting in Mosul started in October 2016, WFP has been on the ground providing life-saving food assistance to affected people. WFP has also been providing children with nutritional support as part of a campaign for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition among children under the age of five.
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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Sally Haydock, WFP/Baghdad, Tel. +964 (0) 780 929 9900
Lucía Fernández, WFP/Madrid, Tel +34 672 068 169
Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo, Mob. +201066634352