The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a contribution of US$900,000 through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) for its refugee response operation.

This contribution, the first from BHA towards WFP’s asset creation and livelihood activities since the start of the operation in 2017, will be crucial to support the agency’s efforts to bolster the resilience of refugees and host communities in Lunda Norte province. 

The funds from the United States will support around 6,300 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with food assistance for 12 months. Of these, approximately 1,200 refugees will also receive training on modern farming technologies and post-harvest management. A total of 250 individuals from the host community are expected to benefit from capacity-building opportunities. 

“The residents of the Lóvua refugee settlement face high levels of vulnerability, and the majority still rely on WFP’s food assistance to meet their basic food and nutrition needs,” said José Ferrão, WFP Representative in Angola. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the United States Government for its continued support, which represents a significant advancement in addressing the critical needs of the refugees and host communities.”

WFP, in collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other partners, has been implementing asset creation and livelihood activities to equip refugees and host communities with the necessary skills and resources to enable them to build sustainable livelihoods, strengthen their resilience, and enhance social cohesion. 

”These efforts aim to help refugees survive, regain stability and dignity and unite vulnerable families and communities, which is all the more crucial in today’s unprecedented times,” said Dr Tulinabo Mushingi, U.S. Ambassador to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.

In Angola, BHA has been a long-standing donor to WFP’s operations, contributing more than US$16 million since 2017 to alleviate hunger and boost the resilience of people affected by crisis.