The Kingdom pledges $500M to WFP

Saudi Arabia responds to a UN World Food Program appeal, providing $500 million in aid to cover a shortfall offset by the food crisis.


"The World Food Programme has met its extraordinary call for 755 million dollars to compensate for the increased costs of food and fuel with a 500 million dollar donation from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," said a WFP statement in reference to its March appeal.


The WFP, which operates in 78 countries and helps feed an estimated 73 million people, had warned that it would have to curtail its program to provide food aid to the world's hungriest people because of the soaring food and energy prices.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Riyadh over its generosity, calling it 'unprecedented in size'. "It comes not a moment too soon, given the needs of millions of people dependent on food rations."

"We turned to the world to help the hungry and the world has been generous," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.


The Saudi pledge is more than half of the total $960 million pledged to the WFP by 32 countries. The UN agency has an approved budget of $2.9 billion for 2008, which has proved inadequate as prices for rice, wheat, soybeans and other crops have jumped by an average of 40 percent since late 2007.