Two UN agencies intensify efforts to help world’s poor and hungry

The United Nations development and food agencies have pledged to jointly redouble efforts to help the world’s poor and hungry, it was announced today.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) will collaborate on initiatives bridging relief and recovery, including food-for-work, cash-for-work and other schemes that empower communities following catastrophes and conflict.

“To help achieve the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs], we need to reach beyond business as usual to support countries to build back better after conflicts and natural disasters and assist those nations that continue to struggle with protracted crises,” according to a statement issued by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

Last week, scores of world leaders gathered at UN Headquarters in New York to reaffirm their commitment to the MDGs, the eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline.

UNDP and WFP said today that they have already been cooperating to assist those in need in the wake of disasters in situations ranging from this January’s devastating Haiti earthquake to the recent floods in Pakistan.