Many people still hungry: UN

By MALUM NALU
MANY Papua New Guineans continue to suffer from hunger as they wait for their harvests to come to fruition despite the El Niño drought having officially ended, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.
The WFP said in its latest situation report for this month that 207,000 people were in need of food assistance.
It said so far 130,135 people had been reached – in 26,027 households – with each household receiving 70kg rations of rice to last six weeks.
The report said 1775 metric tonnes of rice had been distributed.
“Although the El Niño Southern Oscillation has officially ended, many Papua New Guineans continue to suffer from hunger as they wait for their harvests to come to fruition,” it said.
“As of early this month, many subsistence farmers have not profited from their fields, with many expecting yields in December or later.
“Eighty per cent of the population is semi-dependent on subsistence farming to feed themselves and their families.
“WFP has conducted food distributions since June 6 and plans to provide fortified rice to 207,000 people in Enga, Hela, Southern Highlands, Western and Milne Bay by Oct 31.”
The report said WFP was finishing its first round of food distribution in Hela and Enga and was preparing for a second round to reach 127,000 people.
“On July 18, WFP began a food distribution that will reach 28,000 people in the Western and Southern Highlands,” it said.
WFP was to have initiated food distribution yesterday in Milne Bay to reach 52,000 people. The report said WFP required an additional US$3.4 million (about K10.6 million) until Oct 31 to complete the Emergency Operation 200966: Food Assistance to El-Niño-affected populations in Papua New Guinea.
“Of the total requirement of US$12.6 million (about K39 million), US$9.2 million (K29 million) or 73 per cent has been received to date,” it said.