Saeed Al Khotani Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The Kingdom's collaboration with UN World Food Program (WFP) has helped save millions of lives worldwide and their continued cooperation is valued, a WFP official said here. Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of WFP who was on a two-day visit to the Kingdom, said: “The Kingdom has been extremely generous to WFP. Since WFP's establishment in early 1960s, the program has received over $1 billion from the Kingdom to fight hunger.” It was her first visit to the Gulf region since she assumed office in April, and was hoping that the Kingdom would be continuing its support for WFP. She said: “In 2008 the Kingdom made a historic pledge of $500 million to feed millions of people affected by the food crisis, and the WFP honored the King, in 2009 for his generous support of the agency's work with its highest award by naming him “Champion in the Battle Against Hunger.“ “Also, the Kingdom contributes annually over 4,000 metric tons of dates to WFP, in addition to responding to emergency funding appeals,” she added. During her visit, Cousin met with the Crown Prince Salman, the Deputy Prime and Minister of Defense, and expressed her gratitude and appreciation for King Abdullah's generosity and the long-standing collaboration between the Kingdom and WFP in fighting hunger around the world. Also, she met Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghunaim and discussed with him shared interests in WFP's response to emergencies in the region — especially Yemen, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory. “The Kingdom values the partnership with WFP and we will continue to work together, so no child goes hungry across the globe,” said Balghunaim. Also, Cousin met Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Chairman of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation and Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, Vice Chairwoman and Secretary General of the Foundation, last Tuesday. She highly valued Alwaleed Foundation support to WFP. WFP cited in this regard the foundation's assistance in 2012 to the Mauritanian people who suffered from a drought affecting the country, the foundation's initiative to be the first to respond to the WFP's emergency operation to assist 30,000 people in the southern region of GuineaBissau during the 2006 drought, and assisting 3.5 million people afflicted by the drought in Kenya in 2006.
