WFP transports date bars from Gaza to West Bank

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is transporting more than one million date bars produced in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank; the second batch of locally produced school snacks to be sent by WFP from the impoverished strip, Wednesday said a press release by WFP. It said this week’s 76-metric-ton shipment of 1.2 million fortified date bars will benefit some 75,000 school children, through WFP’s school meals project in approximately 300 schools in the most food insecure areas of the West Bank. WFP’s humanitarian assistance programs provide a vital economic link between Gaza and the West Bank, while providing locally produced food for use in safety net programs for the most vulnerable Palestinians. Local industry in the Gaza Strip has limited options to export goods. The WFP Country Director in the occupied Palestinian Territory, Pablo Recalde, said, “Over the past three years, WFP has invested more than US$80 million in local purchases in the Palestinian territory and has provided electronic food vouchers that has placed more than $18 million into the hands of families to spend in local stores. He added “Safety net programs like school meals and food vouchers can be a pillar to economic development. This is one step in our partnership with Palestinians to link social safety nets to economic activity.” WFP previously purchased the date bars for the school meals program in Egypt or Turkey until it identified a local factory in the Gaza Strip. WFP’s purchases represent 50% of the production of the Gaza factory. Since WFP began working with the factory earlier this year, the factory has reported hiring 40 additional workers, said the release.  Almost half of the population of the Gaza Strip is affected by food insecurity, meaning they struggle to feed their families; Restrictions on movement, trade and investment have resulted in high levels of unemployment and a lack of purchasing power, which prevent many people from covering their basic needs.   WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.