Egypt could have pivotal role in supporting regional food security, says WFP official

CAIRO - 12 January 2022: World Food Program (WFP) Regional Director Corinne Fletcher said that Egypt could play a pivotal role in supporting food security and reducing the risks of famine in the region.

She made the remarks during her meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli on the fringe of the fourth edition of the World Youth Forum (WYF) in the the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

At the beginning of the meeting, the WFP director highly praised Egypt's development initiatives, such as the "Decent Life" and the "Decent Housing".

Those initiatives contributed to building comprehensive partnerships between the WFP and Egypt, which has been significantly reflected in increasing the income of small farmers and women, as well as raising the rate of children's enrollment in schools, Fletcher added.

She reviewed the WFP's vision on food security situation and malnutrition in the Middle East and Africa, especially in light of aggravating conflicts, climate change and the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Those factors have led to doubling the number of people at the risk of famine and food shortage, Fletcher noted.

She explained that regional countries could benefit from Egypt's successful experience in achieving food security, citing the launching of the Luxor Coordination Center for Knowledge Sharing and Innovation, which could serve as a regional platform for exchanging information on the best practices to achieve food security and address malnutrition.

WFP's Country Director in Egypt Praveen Agrawal said the program currently works with the Egyptian government to develop 100 villages in the countryside, as part of the presidential initiative "Decent Life".

Agrawal pointed out that the WFP established partnerships with the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and a number of Egyptian banks to advance the state's efforts to bring about financial inclusion and bolster small farmers.

On his part, the prime minister said he agrees with WFP officials about the risks of food security in the region, stressing Egypt's support for any initiatives that aim to address poor nutrition in neighboring countries.

Madobuli welcomed cooperation with the WFP to support the "Decent Life" initiative that targets improving the standard of living of roughly 50 million citizens.

The premier also welcome the WFP's intention to expand the "Decent Life" initiative to include 500 villages, noting that the government is willing to provide all support to achieve this goal.