Over 5,000 families in need will receive food

A new shipment of humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation has arrived in Kyrgyzstan, containing more than 1,280 tonnes of food. It has been provided free of charge as part of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and will be distributed to vulnerable families across the country.

Enriched wheat flour and vegetable oil will be distributed to approximately 5,100 low-income families participating in WFP projects. In return, they will participate in the restoration of irrigation networks, water supply systems, tree planting, riverbank reinforcement, and receive training in modern agricultural methods and self-employment.
Target families will receive 300 kilograms of flour and 30 litres of oil, while training participants will receive 150 kilograms of flour and 15 litres of oil.

The projects are aimed not only at providing food support, but also at increasing community resilience to climate risks and creating new employment opportunities.

Over the past 15 years, the Russian Federation and the WFP have provided multifaceted support to the country, ranging from emergency assistance to the development of social protection systems, including a national school feeding programme.

«Today, we witnessed the arrival of another shipment of humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation. These resources will be directed to the most vulnerable families in our country. Despite the fact that poverty levels are declining, 25.7% of the population still lives below the poverty line, which is more than 1.8 million people, most of whom live in rural areas. That is why such initiatives are vitally important. Joint projects with the WFP address three issues at once: reducing poverty, improving food security and upgrading infrastructure in remote communities. On behalf of the government, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the World Food Programme and our strategic partner, the Russian Federation», — said Ravshanbek Sabirov, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The event was attended by Russian Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Sergey Vakunov and UN WFP Country Director in Kyrgyzstan Kojiro Nakai.