Dubai – Masaader News
Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City and UN Messenger of Peace has contributed to the launch of a special fund to allow the rapid purchase and transportation of high energy biscuits in response to sudden onset emergencies. The highly fortified biscuits provide people caught in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, or conflict, with an immediate source of nutritious food that is packed with energy.
“HRH Princess Haya’s generosity is literally a life-saver. When an emergency happens, WFP must deliver food quickly, and this effort will put our emergency response into another gear so we can save lives anywhere, anytime,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “HRH Princess Haya is a true champion for people facing hunger and poverty, and our appreciation for her dedication and support for WFP grows greater each year.”
Time is of the essence for response to emergencies. When crisis hits, WFP needs to deploy immediate food assistance to people who may have lost everything, including access to markets and food. The High Energy Biscuit fund will be managed through WFP’s Global Commodity Management Facility, which works to reduce the lead time from the moment WFP receives funding through to distribution of food assistance.
HRH Princess Haya’s support for the new fund will allow WFP to procure and pre-position high energy biscuits at the UN Humanitarian Response Depot, located in Dubai for its strategic location that can further reduce emergency response time.
In 2015, HRH Princess Haya received the WFP Hunger Hero Award at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. A former WFP Ambassador Against Hunger, HRH Princess Haya has visited WFP operations in many countries, including Cambodia, Malawi, and Syria.