World Food Programme

The World Food Programme, a branch of the UN, works to alleviate hunger and provide food as part of emergency relief aid. From distributing food in In Read moredia, WFP has begun working with the Indian government by providing technical assistance and support in making its food distribution systems stronger and more efficient. The organization focuses on the following: food and nutrition security, strengthening food-based safety nets, reforming policy to enhance food and nutrition security, fortifying food, mapping and analyzing food security, addressing nutrition concerns during the first 1000 days of life, and addressing the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and elderly. The WFP is working to transform the public food distribution system undertaken by the government by helping improve its efficiency, accountability, and transparency. The government distributes wheat, rice, sugar, and oil to around 800 million people in India, and WFP works to ensure that these supplies reach those who need it the most. In addition to distributing food, the WFP works to fortify said food in order to address nutritional concerns. In order to do so, it fortifies the mid-day meals that are provided in government schools. In its first project in this realm, the rice in meals distributed by the government in schools in Odisha was fortified with iron. This project resulted in a 20 percent drop in anaemia rates in the district. Similarly, WHP also fortified food given to babies and children in Kerala. Not only does the WHP help the government in its food distribrution, it uses its own Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping software which maps food insecurity in India, allowing WHP to target its work where it is most needed. WFP also supports the government’s Poverty and Human Development Monitoring Agency in establishing a State-level Food Security Analysis Unit to map and analyse food security across the country. WHP is working towards its ultimate goal which is achieving Zero Hunger.