UN food relief agency enters partnership with Rome to fight hunger

The United Nations food relief agency and the Italian capital, Rome, today signed a partnership agreement under which the city – where the agency’s headquarters are located – will co-sponsor global efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition, scourges that afflict more than a billion people across the world every day.

The partnership between the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Rome commits both parties to working together on efforts to raise awareness on hunger issues worldwide, particularly in emergency situations.

Leaders and experts on child nutrition from all over the world will gather in Rome next week for a major nutritional forum, hosted by WFP and the Municipality of Rome.

WFP and Rome will co-host other international events linked to supporting the battle against hunger.

The activities include the distribution of hunger education packs to 20,000 schoolchildren, hosting an annual day to bring the message of hunger to millions of people, and using the city’s public transport system, including its buses, to display information on hunger and WFP’s work.

“We are launching Rome as the international capital in solidarity with the world’s hungry,” said Josette Sheeran, the Executive Director of WFP, when she signed the partnership agreement with Gianni Alemanno, the Mayor of Rome.

“We join together in making Rome ‘Ground Zero’ in a global solidarity campaign against hunger,” she added.

The municipal administration also announced its commitment to providing WFP with a “citizen’s office” in the heart of Rome, allowing the agency to be closer to the local people.

Rome hosts several UN entities, including WFP, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).