World Food Programme

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency mandated to combat global hunger, which afflicts one of every seven people on earth. In emergencies, WFP is on the frontline, delivering food aid to save the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, WFP uses food aid to help communities rebuild their shattered lives.

The vision of WFP is a world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. Without food, there can be no sustainable peace, no democracy and no development.

In November/December 1961, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN General Assembly adopted parallel resolutions establishing WFP. The three-year experimental programme was not due to enter into operation until January 1963. In reality it was up and running several months early, as an earthquake hit Iran, a hurricane swept through Thailand and newly independent Algeria was overwhelmed by five million returning refugees. Food aid was needed urgently and WFP was tasked to supply it.

Over the past four decades, WFP has invested about US$ 28 billion and more than 47 million metric tonnes of food to combat hunger, promote social and economic development, and provide relief assistance in emergencies throughout the world.

Ever since its foundation in 1963 and thanks to the generosity of the Italian government, WFP headquarters has been based in Rome, Italy.

WFP is seeking additional funding and valuable expertise from private companies active in areas such as transport, food, information and communications technology, logistics, finance and HR.

The cutting edge know-how of corporate partners can help make the world's largest food aid organization more efficient and effective - and ultimately help feed more hungry people across the globe.

The global mail, express & logistics company TNT (Netherlands) has 163.000 employees in 64 countries and is ranked third internationally in its industry. TNT supports WFP in several ways, including airlift services in emergencies, specialist support program, volunteers and cash donations. TNT initiated the annual Walk the World event whereby TNT and WFP employees, families and friends in 200 locations, 70 countries and 24 time zones came together to raise awareness of global hunger.

Links

The official WFP website.

Flag of WFP in Flags of the World.

Stamp catalogue - general issues

Netherlands 25 November 2004

Netherlands 24 November 2005

Netherlands 23 November 2006

Stamp catalogue - 10th anniversary

Niger 2 November 1973

Tunisia 26 April 1973

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last revised: 5 July 2009