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The United State Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated $3.2 million dollars to WFP, to essentially provide emergency food and development aids to over 68,000 Sierra Leoneans.
The is according to a news release from the World Food Programme (WFP), issued on Monday, 30th January 2023.
The WFP Country Representative, Yvonne Forsen, said that a number of issues could be factored as the basis of the country’s current deplorable economy, while pointing g out that the Russia – Ukraine war is a major reason which has led to the country’s weak economy – and that has cascaded down to other sectors in the country.
The release, however, noted that there would be funds for 40,000 people in two districts: Port Loko and Pujehun.
It added that, WFP would also provide cash to over 30 schools in Kenema and Pujehun districts to buy vegetables and fruits from small-scale farmers for 6,400 children.
The release further stated that the fund would adequately provide for agricultural equipment for farmers in Falaba, Koinadugu, Tonkolili, Kambia, Moyamba and Pujehun districts to cater for poultry and rice enterprises, adding that 95 farmers’ groups would equally benefit from the fund.
The United State Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reina said that his country is more than committed to supporting human capital development in the country noting that the US is similarly committed to investing in the local economy so that hunger and malnutrition problems would be addressed adequately in the country.
The joint data from the Government of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the WFP Market Monitoring System indicated that the price of imported rice, which is the country’s staple food, rose by 40 per cent between January and October 2022, adding that the locally produce crops almost doubled forcing most families to spend over 75 per cent of their income on food.
