Victims of natural disasters inLaos will soon receive much-needed rice rations after a contribution ofAUD500,000 (US$450,000) from Australia received by the United Nations WorldFood Programme (WFP) today. The generous donation will enable WFP to purchaserice for more than 32,000 monthly rations of 15kg to support disaster-struckfamilies while they get back on their feet.

The Australian donation allows WFP to purchase483 metric tons of rice, which will be distributed to poor, food-insecurefamilies throughout the country. Australia has been a consistent partner forWFP in the Lao PDR for many years, supporting relief and recovery activities aswell as rural development work and school meals. Last year, Australian-donatedrice helped alleviate the suffering of communities across northern Laos after amajor rodent infestation left more than 130,000 people in urgent need of foodassistance.

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WFP press release (Lao)

VIENTIANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) thanked the Government of Japan (GoJ) on Monday for its continued and generous support of food assistance programmes in Laos PDR. 

Japan donated 316-metric tons of canned fish, worth US$1.2 million, to help people cope in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana in October this year. The largest part of the donation, however, will be used in the WFP School Meals Programme. The fish is an integral item in the take-home food basket given to children and their families as an incentive to attend primary school in three northern provinces of Laos.

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H.E. Mr. Mr. LyTou, H.E. Mr. Miyashita and Mrs. Elisabeth Faure after the ceremony

(Photo: WFP/Peter Lappe)

VIENTIANE – More than 50,000 primary school children in Oudomxay province will receive mid-morning snacks and take-home rations during the first term of 2010 thanks to a generous donation from the Republic of Korea, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Friday. 

The US$500,000 donation is a significant contribution that will help ensure the children receive a well-balanced meal each school day. Well-nourished children are better able to concentrate in class and as a result generally do better academically.  The funds will secure the purchase and distribution of corn-soya blend, a vitamin and mineral-enriched food product, as well as 392 metric tons of rice, to children who attend 417 primary schools in Oudomxay. read more

Guests at the ceremony (center Ms. Karin Manente, to her left H.E. Mr.Jae-hyun Park, to her right H.E. Mr. Ly Tou Bouapao)

(Photo:WFP/Stefanie Kahls)

VIENTIANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced Thursday that it has managed to reach more than 40,000 people affected by flooding in the provinces of Attapeu, Sekong and Saravane.

WFP works in close cooperation with the national Disaster Management Office and provincial authorities to guarantee fast delivery of the food. Over a hundred metric tons of rice and over 22,000 cans of fish have been distributed to the eight worst-affected districts within the provinces.  Food distributions will be expanded to Savannakhet Province in the coming days. WFP started its emergency assistance operation on Friday October 2, just one day after typhoon Ketsana caused devastating floods in the region. 

VIENTIANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is providing first emergency food assistance to communities in Sekong affected by Typhoon Ketsana. In the worst hit areas, provincial authorities are distributing eleven metric tons of rice and 3,200 cans of fish provided by WFP. Rations are designed to meet the energy and nutritional needs of over 3000 flood victims. Read more

Photos: WFP/Anthony Aisenberg

VIENTIANE - On July 15th, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare highlighted the relief response underway to assist thousands of families in Northern Laos who lost their 2008 harvest to a major rat infestation, and thanked the donors who made this response possible.

Minister of Labour and Social Welfare H.E. Ms Onechanh Thammavong, German Ambassador H.E. Dr Peter Wienand, Australian Ambassador H.E. Dr Michele Forster, Luxembourg Ambassador H.E. Mr Marc Ungeheuer, ECHO Representative Mr Henry Prankerd, AusAID Representative Ms Raine Dixon, and WFP Deputy Country Director Elisabeth Faure participated in a ceremony to mark the event.

Thanks to the very generous contributions from ECHO, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Luxembourg, WFP was able to start relief operations across Northern Laos in May this year. The funding received will allow WFP to complete food distributions to all affected communities and reach over 130,000 people in total.

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Participants of the ceremony - from left to right: Mr Prasith Detphommatheth, Mr Vanhna Keosanti, HE Mr Bounheuang Douangphachanh, Mr Henry Prankerd, HE Mr Peter Wienand, HE Ms Onechanh Thammavong, Ms Elisabeth Faure, HE Ms Michelle Forster, HE Mr Marc Ungeheuer. (Photo credit: WFP/Cornelia Pätz)

VIENTIANE – LAO PDR.  By the end of this week, the World Food Programme (WFP) in the Lao PDR in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will have completed the first relief distributions in response to the widespread rodent outbreak in northern Laos. Beneficiaries in Pakbeng district of Oudomxay receive 30kg of rice each, with a second round of distributions planned for August 2009.

Next week, distributions will be expanded to reach affected households in Nga and Beng districts of Oudomxay province. The food will help them avoid further aggravation of their food security situation and hunger until the next rice harvest in September. Across the three districts, over 1,300 metric tons of rice will be distributed to 30,300 food-insecure people.

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