World Food Programme to phase out aid in Uganda, including HIV/AIDS support

The United Nations World Food Programme will phase out food aid and HIV/AIDS support to Uganda, a United Nations official said on Thursday, Xinhua/ChinaView.cn.com reports. The plan could affect more than 1.5 million people.

Uganda's WFP representative Stanlake Samkange said, "WFP's new global strategic direction reiterates that the WFP will always support the priorities of the governments of the countries where it operates. In Uganda's case, the government is more focused on upstream activities as compared to food aid and support to people affected by HIV/AIDS."

Samkange said because there are many groups dealing with HIV/AIDS aid in the country, WFP will focus only on the needs of people affected by HIV/AIDS within its new and ongoing programs. He said that a school feeding program in northern Uganda will continue and that other programs will be retargeted to ensure that they are effectively responding to changing needs. The phase out reportedly will end by December, Xinhua/ChinaView.cn.com reports.

WFP said that in 2008 its HIV/AIDS support reached an estimated 173,000 people (Xinhua/ChinaView.cn.com, 9/18).