Press Releases

U.S. Government Provides $50,000 in Emergency Assistance for Food Shortages in Northeastern Nicaragua

14 October 2005

Responding to an urgent request by the Nicaraguan government for assistance, the U.S. government is providing $50,000 to transport food to communities in the northeastern part of the country, recently affected by heavy rains and a rat plague that decimated crops causing food shortages.

The emergency relief from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will help the World Food Programme provide food to approximately 4,450 people in the municipality of Waspam, located 395 miles northeast of Managua.

The U.S. government’s contribution will cover transportation costs for the 224 metric tons of food that will be distributed to these indigenous communities in the North Atlantic Region during the next three months.

The U.S. government is the primary donor to the World Food Programme, contributing more than $1 billion a year to support World Food Programme activities worldwide.