CAIRO: The Lebanese journalist and food security campaigner Darine El-Khatib has arrived in Egypt to promote the vision of a world free of hunger and malnutrition.
El-Khatib works with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a Special Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger for the Near East and North Africa region.
In March 2017, she joined forces with the FAO to raise awareness of the increasing difficulties of achieving food security for all in a region affected by conflict, water scarcity and climate change.
Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, the FAO’s assistant director general and regional representative, greeted El-Khatib in the organization’s Cairo office, where they discussed the alarming situation in the region and FAO’s programs that assist member countries in overcoming their challenges.
Ould Ahmed praised El-Khatib’s dedication and endeavors to raise public awareness about food insecurity in the region, and he applauded the campaign she launched two years ago to encourage young people to play a part in the global effort to end hunger and fight food waste and malnutrition.
“I am honored to be a part of the FAO’s journey to fight hunger and malnutrition,” said El-Khatib. “I am confident that together we can make a difference in the world and reach Zero Hunger by 2030.”
The FAO says food security and nutrition levels in the region have sharply deteriorated over the past five years, undermining the steady improvements achieved before 2010. Nearly 16.5 million people in the region were hungry in 1990. By the end of 2015, the number had doubled to about 33 million.
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Lebanese journalist launches new FAO drive in Egypt to promote a hunger-free world
Lebanese journalist launches new FAO drive in Egypt to promote a hunger-free world
US resumes food aid to Somalia
- The United States on Thursday announced the resumption of food distribution in Somalia, weeks after the destruction of a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse at Mogadishu’s port
NAIROBI: The United States on Thursday announced the resumption of food distribution in Somalia, weeks after the destruction of a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse at Mogadishu’s port.
In early January, Washington suspended aid to Somalia over reports of theft and government interference, saying Somali officials had “illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid meant for vulnerable Somalis.”
US officials then warned any future aid would depend on the Somali government taking accountability, a stance Mogadishu countered by saying the warehouse demolition was part of the port’s “expansion and repurposing works.”
On Wednesday, however, the Somali government said “all WFP commodities affected by port expansion have been returned.”
In a statement Somalia said it “takes full responsibility” and has “provided the World Food Program with a larger and more suitable warehouse within the Mogadishu port area.”
The US State Department said in a post on X that: “We will resume WFP food distribution while continuing to review our broader assistance posture in Somalia.”
“The Trump Administration maintains a firm zero tolerance policy for waste, theft, or diversion of US resources,” it said.
US president Donald Trump has slashed aid over the past year globally.
Somalis in the United States have also become a particular target for the administration in recent weeks, targeted in immigration raids.
They have also been accused of large-scale public benefit fraud in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali community in the country with around 80,000 members.
In early January, Washington suspended aid to Somalia over reports of theft and government interference, saying Somali officials had “illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid meant for vulnerable Somalis.”
US officials then warned any future aid would depend on the Somali government taking accountability, a stance Mogadishu countered by saying the warehouse demolition was part of the port’s “expansion and repurposing works.”
On Wednesday, however, the Somali government said “all WFP commodities affected by port expansion have been returned.”
In a statement Somalia said it “takes full responsibility” and has “provided the World Food Program with a larger and more suitable warehouse within the Mogadishu port area.”
The US State Department said in a post on X that: “We will resume WFP food distribution while continuing to review our broader assistance posture in Somalia.”
“The Trump Administration maintains a firm zero tolerance policy for waste, theft, or diversion of US resources,” it said.
US president Donald Trump has slashed aid over the past year globally.
Somalis in the United States have also become a particular target for the administration in recent weeks, targeted in immigration raids.
They have also been accused of large-scale public benefit fraud in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali community in the country with around 80,000 members.
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