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South Korea Helping WFP Project in Iran

The Sustainable Development Goal 2 envisions ending hunger, achieving food security, and improved nutrition.
The Sustainable Development Goal 2 envisions ending hunger, achieving food security, and improved nutrition.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has received a contribution of $4 million from South Korea to provide food assistance to WFP’s Food Assistance Projects for refugees in Iran.

“South Korea’s contribution will help finance food assistance for one year to refugees living under our coverage,” said WFP Iran director, Negar Gerami, at a ceremony marking the 29th anniversary of the UN agency’s activities in Iran on Friday in Tehran, attended by officials as well as art and cultural figures.

Hunger is a growing concern in today’s world and financing humanitarian projects is one of our biggest challenges, she said, khabaronline.ir reported.

The South Korean ambassador to Tehran said his country has high regard for the programs implemented by the WFP.

“The amount is small, but it’s a sign that we encourage the WFP’s programs,” said Song Woong-Yeob.

Underscoring the consequences of hunger and malnutrition as well as the importance of fighting it, he said, “South Koreans use the phrase ‘Have you eaten?’ instead of ‘good morning’, because they believe food security is of essence in all aspects of life. Ending world hunger is a difficult but achievable  goal, and we will continue to support WFP projects across the world.”

“I certainly hope that we can manage to end world hunger and celebrate that victory in the not-too-distant future,” Gerami said.

The ceremony concluded with a performance by the Nairika Orchestra of Women Percussionists.

  Ending World Hunger

The Sustainable Development Goal 2 envisions ending hunger, achieving food security, and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if the world is to nourish today’s 795 million hungry and the additional 2 billion people expected by 2050. If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-centered rural development and protecting the environment.

WFP has been providing assistance to refugees in Iran since the arrival of the first asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 1980s. It provides 30,000 of the most vulnerable refugees with a monthly ration of basic food items including bread, rice, sugar, lentils and vegetable oil.

In addition, WFP provides a take-home ration of vegetable oil to 3,000 refugee schoolgirls and their female teachers in 19 settlements across the country. This is a strong incentive for parents to send their daughters to school, which helps promote girls’ education. Iran hosts the world’s fourth largest refugee population, following Turkey, Pakistan and Lebanon, with nearly one million registered Afghan, and Iraqi refugees. Most took refuge in Iran either after the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, or following the Afghan civil war in the 1990s and the US-led invasion in 2001.

Millions of Afghans live and work in Iran, legally and illegally (said to number three million), despite the efforts of the government and the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to repatriate them.

Since the beginning of 2016, South Korea has contributed over $29 million to WFP’s projects across the world, which puts the country 18th on the WFP’s list of contributors worldwide.

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