MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
AusAID
The Australian Government's recent assessment of multilateral aid agencies has ranked the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as one of the most effective recipients of Australian aid funds.
The Australian Multilateral Assessment looked at the performance of 42 multilateral organisations funded by AusAID and arose from the recommendations of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness.
AusAID Director-General, Peter Baxter said the results indicate that when we work with the World Food Programme we can be sure Australian funds are saving lives and fighting the impact of hunger and under-nutrition.
'In the past two years alone, Australian funds helped to feed more than 5.5 million people who would otherwise have gone hungry,' Mr Baxter said.
The World Food Programme's new Executive Director, Ms Ertharin Cousin, also welcomed the findings.
'I am extremely pleased that the Australian Government has joined the ranks of other major government donors who have assessed the World Food Programme to be a strong, effective organisation that represents value for money in world efforts to fight hunger,' Ms Cousin said.
'Australia is one of our most valuable government partners.'
'It was the first to agree to a flexible multi-year partnership and funding arrangement and other donors are now following Australia's lead. WFP often finds itself dealing with the unpredictable as disasters strike and having funding we can count on lets us get on with the job of feeding the most vulnerable in the most efficient way possible.'
In 2011, Australia provided more than $140 million to the World Food Programme to support its world-wide operations.
Media contacts
Monica Salvitti, WFP/Sydney, Tel +61 450 044 713 monica.salvitti@wfp.org
AusAID Media, +61 (0) 417 680 590 or media@ausaid.gov.au