WFP completes agricultural rehabilitation in south Congo

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - The World Food Program (WFP) representative in Congo, Jean-Martin Bauer, on Thursday signed in Brazzaville the certificate of remission of China's donation of US$2 million funding in Congo with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Congo, Ma Fulin.
 
The ceremony, which was witnessed by the Minister of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action, Antoinette Dinga Dzondo, puts an end to the agricultural and rehabilitation activities carried out by WFP in the districts of Kimba, Vindza, Kindamba and Mayama, in the Pool department of southern Congo.

 
Bauer explained that the donation was made in 2018 to finance the resilience programme led by WFP in those localities in order to support local populations affected by the crisis to revive farm production.
 
He also said that the programme was based on food assistance for vulnerable people and the rehabilitation of farm tracks, fish ponds and market gardening areas in order to strengthen household food security in the long term.
 
''The findings revealed during the survey that the rate of malnutrition in the area has dropped significantly since in 2017, more than 15% of children were acutely malnourished in the Pool. With this programme, the malnutrition rate is 6%,'', said Bauer.

 
WFP deputy director Ali Ouattara presented the activities carried out in the localities.

According to him, the actions were focused on the participation of 28,000 people in rehabilitation activities in 2019 with nearly 140,000 beneficiaries.

Among these were 542 fish ponds, the rehabilitation of rural tracks over a distance of 120 km as well as the establishment of 20 ha of market gardening perimeter.                    

Chinese Ambassador to Congo Ma Fulin assured the government of continued cooperation.

However, the ambassador said the Coronavirus epidemic and the natural disasters that hit his country were a challenge for humanity because the world had become small.
 
''Cooperation is the only way, the only way in which humanity can achieve, because globalization must go in the direction of building the community of destiny for humanity,'' he said.
 
Minister Dinga Dzondo explained remarked  that China's donation to Congo is contributing to the recovery efforts of the Pool department through the UN agency.
 
-0- PANA MB/IS/KND/AR 6Mar2020