GS 2 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
Introduction
World Food Programme (WFP) has been forefront at the conflict-ridden countries like for humanitarian assistance to the hungry and needy people.
- To eradicate hunger and malnutrition with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
- WFP functions in more than 83 countries, reaching 86.7 million people.
Hunger Map:2019
Recently In News:
- World Food Programme (WFP) was awarded prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
- for its contribution in combating hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas.
- as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
About:
- Created in 1961 as an experiment to provide food aid through the UN system.
- In 1965, it was enshrined as a fully-fledged UN programme.
- 1st development program in Sudan.
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
- A member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
- Governed by a 36-member Executive Board.
Funding:
- Entirely by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors.
- Raised US$8 billion in 2019.
- Partners with more than 1,000 national and international NGOs.
- To provide food assistance and tackle the underlying causes of hunger.
Link between food security and peace:
- “Vicious circle”, where conflict can cause food insecurity and food insecurity may trigger violence.
- Almost 80% of all chronic malnourished children inhabit countries affected by armed conflict.
- Not only prevents hunger but can also help to improve prospects for stability and peace.
- Wars constrain people’s mobility
- create black markets
- restrict people’s access to food
- making it either unavailable/too expensive
- War-related displacement causes people to be removed from their cultivable land
- so that they cannot grow food
- it diverts resources from people’s welfare towards the war effort.
- SDG (Sustainable development goal) – 2 targets zero hunger by 2030.
Data:
- WFP data:
- there are 821 million people in the world who do not get enough food to lead a normal, active life
- world’s 1/4th undernourished people live in India.
- SOFI (State of Food Security and Nutrition) report, 2020:
- food insecurity in India increased by 3.8% points between 2014 and 2019.
- Global Nutrition Report 2018:
- almost ⅓ of the world’s burden for stunting.
- India tops the list of countries with stunting
- Almost 46.6 million children are stunted in India.
- Global Hunger Index:
- India ranks 94th out of the 107 countries.
- Impact of COVID pandemic:
- has the potential to increase the number of hungry people by 270 million.
Government measures in India:
- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY):
- launched as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- amid COVID pandemic as a relief package to prevent hunger and poverty.
- eligible families are provided with 5 kg free wheat/rice per person/month.
- long with 1 kg free whole chana to each family per month.
- Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):
- modified version of PDS launched in 2017 is TPDS.
- aims at food security and poverty alleviation
- via provisions for essential commodities to the beneficiaries.
- identified based on the inclusion and exclusion criterion.
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY):
- Bottom most 2.5 crores BPL families get 35 kg of rice at Rs. 3/kg
- wheat at Rs. 2/kg through Fair Price Shops.
- Senior citizens if not covered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme are provided 10 kg of food grains at free of cost.
- National Food Security Act, 2013:
- gives a legal right to subsidized food grains to about 67% of the population
- provides for penalty for non-compliance by public servants with special provisions related to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS):
- aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of
- children between 0 to 6 years
- pregnant women
- lactating mothers.
- aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme:
- aimed at improving the nutritional status of school-going children
- simultaneously enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance
- National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan):
- India’s flagship program launched in 2018
- to improve nutritional standards among children and women
- by reducing the level of stunting, underweight, anaemia and low birth weight by 2022.
- based on the NITI Aayog’s recommendations under the National Nutrition strategy.
WFP in India:
- Food distribution: to improve its efficiency, accountability and transparency.
- Food fortification: multi-micronutrient fortification of school meals under the Mid-Day meal program.
- Vulnerability monitoring:
- supporting India’s poverty and human development monitoring
- through its own Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping software
- to identify India’s most food-insecure areas.
Conclusion
World Food programme with its high-level experience in tackling food-related issues in most difficult situations can assist India in dealing with the issues related to stunting and wasting.
