The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) made a significant announcement on Thursday, activating a redesigned strategy for its operations in Ethiopia, aiming to recommence food assistance for approximately 3.2 million individuals in the nation.
According to a press release by the WFP, the organization has introduced a fresh operational model to resume the provision of food aid that was halted back in June for millions of vulnerable Ethiopians.
“The WFP’s new approach is founded on a robust framework of safeguards and controls that underwent extensive testing,” stated the press release.
The WFP outlined that the new strategy involves employing explicit criteria to identify and digitally register the most at-risk households and individuals. Additionally, it involves collaborating with local communities to verify those who are most in need.
Furthermore, plans include reinforcing the tracking of commodities to monitor the movement of food from warehouses to beneficiaries. The organization also aims to enhance monitoring activities and establish community feedback mechanisms to identify potential misuse of food aid.
Earlier in June, the UN agency had announced the suspension of its food aid program in Ethiopia, citing widespread misappropriation of aid.
The WFP’s statement did not explicitly name the parties responsible for diverting its food aid within the East African country.
