Fighting Hunger Worldwide WFP in Asia
WFP in Action WFP assists over 40 million hungry people in 14 countries in Asia, runs an airline in Afghanistan for humanitarian workers, and is responsible for a UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Malaysia which deploys assets during a crisis for Asia, the Pacific, and beyond. WFP is part of the United Nations system, and is funded entirely by voluntary donations.
Hunger in Asia Despite its rapid economic growth, the Asia Pacific region is home to an estimated 642 million hungry people more than any other continent and it has more than half of the world s billion undernourished. This plight of the poorest has been compounded by commercial food prices that have not significantly declined since their 2008 record highs and the global financial crisis which has impacted on remittances, the bedrock of many Asian economies. WFP/James Giambrone/Nepal
WFP/Chu Cancan/Bangladesh How WFP Helps WFP s first priority is to save lives in a crisis. The organisation has championed the expansion of early warning and preparedness capabilities, and brings years of emergency response experience to a region repeatedly battered by natural disasters. WFP fights for the elimination of child hunger worldwide, particularly by providing children with meals in schools. Maternal and child health and nutrition programmes provide nutritional support to new mothers and children. The first 1000 days from the womb to two years of age are vital in a child s development, and where a proper diet can help break the cycle of poverty.
WFP/Marcus Prior/DPRK Communities are also helped out of the poverty trap through food-for-asset projects designed to build or repair vital infrastructure that promotes self-reliance. WFP also has responsibility for providing telecommunications and logistics to support the entire humanitarian community during a crisis trucks, ships, planes, trains, helicopters, and warehousing, as well as data, voice and other vital communications infrastructure.
Ready and Able Asia is afflicted by more recurring natural disasters than anywhere else in the world including volcanoes, floods, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, and typhoons. In 2009 alone, there were 245 natural disasters across the continent of which 224 were weather-related. The 2010 monsoon floods in Pakistan continued this trend. The future trajectory of climate change has massive implications for Asia. Its natural vulnerability is compounded by the increasing frequency and acuteness of natural disasters, threatening farming communities in low-lying areas and heavily populated agricultural zones, particularly those near coastlines.
WFP Asia is primed for emergency response across the region, maintaining a deep-field presence of skilled staff close to those most likely to need assistance in times of crisis. State-of-the-art simulation technology is used to ensure WFP offices are equipped and ready to respond to sudden-onset disasters. A humanitarian response depot in Subang, Malaysia, is able to provide immediate logistical reinforcement and supplies to emergency operations. Further first wave reinforcement is rapidly available from a regional bureau in Bangkok, Thailand. WFP/Rein Skullerud/Pakistan WFP/Rein Skullerud/Pakistan
Afghanistan 7 million Pakistan 19 million India 970,000 Nepal 2.3 million Bhutan 35,000 Myanmar 1.3 million Sri Lanka 1.7 million Bangladesh 4.5 million Asia Regional Bureau, Bangkok, Thailand Humanitarian Response Depot, Subang, Malaysia Laos 840,000 Cambodia 1 million
Democratic People s Republic of Korea 2 million Where we work Figures indicate number of people WFP aimed to assist in 2010 Phillippines 2 million Indonesia 590,000 Timor Leste 430,000
The Right Food at the Right Time WFP is committed to providing the most vulnerable with the right food, at the right time, to ensure they are able to fight off under-nutrition during times of crisis. This means ensuring the most nutritious products available are given to young children who are at particular risk. Scientific evidence shows that the first 1000 days of a child s life from the womb to two years of age are absolutely critical. A child who misses out on proper nutrition during this time can suffer irreversible physical and intellectual impairment. WFP/Robert Grossman
In Asia, WFP is at the cutting edge of developing new ready-to-use supplementary foods designed to prevent malnutrition, particularly in young children. Increasingly, these highly nutritious foods and nutritious additives are being included in regular WFP programmes. WFP Asia also supports the local production of specialised food and micronutrient powders in countries across the region. WFP/AK Kimoto/Cambodia
Doing it Themselves WFP works with governments to build country-led solutions to hunger and food insecurity. Our food-for-assets programmes help people build agricultural and other infrastructure which helps them escape the poverty trap and become self-sufficient. Food-for-training gives people the skills they need to fend for themselves. Purchase for Progress (P4P) uses WFP s purchasing power in Asia to offer smallholder farmers opportunities to access agricultural markets, to become competitive players in those markets and thus to improve their lives. WFP/Chu Cancan/Bangladesh
WFP has been buying food locally for many years. In 2009, WFP spent over US$150 million buying food in countries where we work in Asia. Local production of fortified biscuits and blended foods is also a priority for WFP in the region. Across Asia, WFP is working with governments to find innovative solutions to hunger and provide the knowhow which will allow nations to ensure their own food security in the future. WFP/Marcus Prior/DPRK WFP/Shehzad Noorani/Bangladesh
Partnerships for Change To meet the increasing challenges of reaching those in need, WFP works with the private sector, celebrities, and many other partners who are committed to the fight against hunger. In Asia WFP works with some of the biggest names in the private sector including, Yum Brands!, TNT, LG, and Unilever, to respond to disasters and work together on long-term, sustainable solutions through development. Aligning a brand name with WFP not only enhances a corporate image, it also demonstrates a tangible, results-oriented social commitment that resonates with employees, partners, consumers, investors and the public at large. Lives have been washed away Actor Jang Dong Gun is a WFP Ambassador Against Hunger in South Korea Photo: AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO Help us help them Severe flooding in Asia in recent weeks has left hundreds of thousands homeless and destitute. Water, as far as the eye can see. From Laos to the Philippines, World Food Programme emergency teams are working around the clock to turn hunger into hope for families who have lost everything. Fighting Hunger Worldwide
As WFP is on the frontline of major emergencies and in the forefront of the news, partners also benefit from high-level media coverage, especially of joint projects, sponsorship programmes, and direct assistance during a crisis. Whether it be funding from foundations or grants, individual private donations, employee payroll deduction campaigns, corporate matching, or cause-related marketing, WFP could be a powerful partner for you. Through Project Laser Beam, WFP is working in a new public private partnership to eradicate malnutrition, with an initial focus on Bangladesh and Indonesia. Elle Korea
WFP is the world s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. In Asia, WFP assists more than 40 million people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, DPR Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste. PRINTED: DECEMBER 2010 - PHOTO CREDITS: FRONT COvER: WFP/REIN SKuLLERuD/PAKISTAN; BACK COvER: WFP/CHARLIE BARNWELL WFP Regional Bureau for Asia 7th Floor Wave Place Building 55 Wireless Road, Patumwan Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: (66) 2 655 4115 Fax: (66) 2 659 8603 Management ext 2120 Partnerships ext 2520 Media Relations ext 2160