The Government of Brazil has recently donated 1000 metric tonnes of rice to WFP for Malian refugees living in Burkina Faso.
Ouagadougou – As a result of the ongoing conflict in Mali, around half a million people have been uprooted from their homes. An estimated 204,000 people have become internally displaced. Another 200,000 Malians have sought refuge in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger.
The Brazilian contribution aims to provide food assistance to 40,000 Malian refugees living in Burkina Faso for a period of two months.
The donation was handed over to WFP by Ambassador of Brazil to Burkina Faso Santiago Louis Bento Fernandez Alcazar. During the ceremony, Ambassador Alcazar applauded the Government of Burkina Faso’s solidarity towards the Malian population.
Ambassador Santiago Alcazar explained that the rice provided “comes from food procurement programmes and is destined for social entities and groups in vulnerable situations.”
"WFP is grateful to the Government of Brazil for this important contribution that will ensure the continuation of food and nutritional assistance to refugees, especially women and young children,” said WFP Burkina Country Director Angelline Rudakubana.
Under WFP activities each refugee receives a full daily food ration equivalent to 2100 Kal per day, which includes nutritional requirements. WFP also provides food and nutrition support to malnourished children aged between 6 and 59 months.
Since February 2012, WFP has distributed nearly 3,000 metric tonnes of food to Malian refugees in Burkina Faso. In the Sahel region, where most of the refugees are sheltered, WFP has increased its support to the school meals programme, as many refugee children attend school in the area.
In recent years, support from the Government of Brazil has enabled WFP in Burkina Faso to continue and strengthen its assistance to refugees, to populations affected by natural disasters and – through school canteens – to children in primary education.
