Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - December 3, 2002
The $100 million grant to World Vision, CARE, and Catholic Relief Services will go toward emergency and supplementary food distributions, agricultural support and development training in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the three countries hardest hit by the food shortage. Two million people a week will be helped.
The grant -- a combination of food and financial aid -- is being awarded a week after the United Nations and the World Health Organization released a report citing AIDS as a key factor in the growing food crisis in Southern Africa. Upwards of 17 million people in seven countries are affected by the severe food shortage, which is exacerbated by bad weather, poor economic decisions, civil war, as well as AIDS.
"This food can be used as a focal point for mobilizing people and communities toward increased AIDS awareness," says Bruce Wilkinson, World Vision's Senior Vice President for International Programs. "But unless this desperate food shortage and the spread of the AIDS virus are addressed together, the aid likely will be insufficient. Additional resources, special aid food rations, and special care programs are required if we want food assistance to reach all vulnerable people."
The consortium, led by World Vision, is an unprecedented collaboration among the three leading humanitarian organizations. The agencies have joined forces in the region to provide a coordinated response to the food shortage and the related complexities of the existing HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has threatened to undermine many of the traditional food aid approaches.
The objectives are to meet the immediate needs and to develop long-term programs to strengthen the resilience to future food shortages among people in vulnerable communities. Among the efforts will be: food distributions and improved access to health services, training in agricultural productivity, improved water availability and seed fairs, and training to improve communities' own early warning systems for future crises.
All the programs will include AIDS education and prevention components.
Founded in 1950, World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization, serving the world's poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries. For more information, visit http://www.worldvision.org .
SOURCE World Vision
Web Site: http://www.worldvision.org
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