In line with the ongoing emergency relief efforts in flood-affected areas of Central Luzon and conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao by the Philippine Government together with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) extended their hand by donating emergency food assistance though WFP. CIDA is Canadian based agency formed by their government in 1968 that administers foreign aid programs in developing countries like the Philippines. Meanwhile, WFP focuses on nutrition programs for children and mothers and also relief operations.
According to WFP Philippines Representative and Country Director Stephen Anderson they are grateful for CIDA for its steadfast commitment in responding to humanitarian needs in the Philippines when they arise, which has enabled WFP to be an effective partner to the Philippine Government.
CIDA donated 60 metric tons of Plumpy’Doz, a nutritious ready-to-use supplementary food product, is currently being distributed to flood- and conflict-affected children aged 6 to 36 months. It is made of peanuts paste, vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, whey, maltodextrines, and sugar which is rich with vitamin A, E, C, B1, B2, B6, B12, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Iodine, Copper, Phoshorus, Potassium, Manganese, and Folic Acid that’s perfect supply daily nutrition need to a child or a pregnant or breast-feeding mother.
Up to date, WFP already distributed over 33 metric tons of Plumpy’Doz have already been distributed to about 26,000 flood-affected children from the National Capital Region, Region III, and Region IV-A during the monsoon rain last August. Meanwhile, almost 2.7 metric tons of the nutritious ready-to-use supplementary food has been provided to over 2,000 children, complementing the local and regional government’s emergency relief assistance for the displaced in Central Mindanao last August of this year.
According to Canadian Ambassador Christopher Thornely the long standing partnership of Canada with the WFP has served to help many people around the world, including with the delivery of rapid and effective humanitarian assistance in the Philippines. With this the Canadian government becomes one of the top donors of WFP globally. Aside from emergency food assistance, CIDA also helps WFP in livelihood support programs to help Filipinos earn for their living especially in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, as well as emergency relief program following Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong).
