M26.1m for vulnerable Basotho

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M26.1m for vulnerable Basotho
M26.1m for vulnerable Basotho

Africa-Press – Lesotho. In a bid to support the vulnerable people who struggle to meet their basic food needs amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of Germany has through the

German Federal Foreign Office contributed EUR 1.5 million – about M26.1 million to the United Nations World food Programme (WFP) in Lesotho. The donation is

anticipated to last for the years 2021-2023. WFP Country Director and Representative Aurora Rusiga informed that this is part of a EUR 18 million contribution by Germany to Southern Africa for 2021-2023 which

will contribute to improve access to food and ensure that vulnerable people including women have access to an adequate and nutritious diet in times of need, particularly

during the lean season. She added that the identified people will receive monthly cash transfers via mobile money and commodity voucher assistance. “According to the 2021

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, about 312,000 people of the total rural population in Lesotho are food insecure and the Lesotho vulnerability Assessment report estimated

that a total of 158,000 urban population in Lesotho is food insecure. In total, about 470, 00 people are food insecure and require humanitarian assistance to

reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods and prevent acute malnutrition,” noted the press statement as at November 4th. “WFP welcomes this timely

and generous contribution from the people of Germany to enable us to respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs across the country especially during the

difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic which has already impacted vulnerable groups in Lesotho, driving them into increased food insecurity,” it further

reads. Quoted in the press release, WFP Country Director and Representative said that this contribution from Germany will go a long way in assisting vulnerable people who are finding

it increasingly difficult to put food on the table and in dire need of support. “WFP aims to assist 122,000 food insecure people through emergency response assistance until the

end of the lean season in March 2022 with monthly cash transfers via mobile money and commodity vouchers. Beneficiaries receive USD 47 per month to help

meet their basic food needs. Presently, the available funding will allow WFP to assist a total of 44,000 food insecure people”. Also cited in the statement, German Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini based in

Pretoria, Andreas Pesche stated that Germany hopes that this funding will contribute to mitigating the suffering of vulnerable people at a time when more

of them are in need of humanitarian assistance. “We commend WFP for its continuous efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable people in the southern Africa region,” he said.

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