The World Food Programme (WFP) executive board unanimously approved allocating $454m of Egypt’s strategic programme to enhance Egyptian efforts on tackling food safety and malnutrition in accordance with its Vision 2030.
Egypt’s new ambassador to Italy, Hesham Badr, said that Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly reviewed Egypt’s Vision 2030 plans to achieve compulsive and sustainable economic development, asserting Egypt’s commitment to the WFP programme.
The WFP said that Egypt’s strategic plan for 2018–2023 will focus on “strengthening national capacity to tackle the underlying causes of vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition while responding to humanitarian needs, including those of refugees and migrants in Egypt.”
The programme will include coordinating with the Ministries of Social Solidarity and Education and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) “to provide nutritious school snacks to schoolchildren (six to 18 years of age) in targeted public and community schools in vulnerable communities. Monthly take-home entitlements will be provided to schoolchildren in community schools (60% girls, 40% boys) and their families on the condition that the children attend 80% of their classes,” according to a statement.
It added that “Egypt’s Vision 2030 sets out national economic, social, and environmental development priorities aiming to increase GDP per capita in order to reach high-middle-income country status, reduce poverty, and contribute to food and nutrition security”.
The report further noted that the flotation of the Egyptian pound in November 2016 “contributed to soaring food prices, resulting in rising food insecurity across the country.”
