India and WFP to Supply Wheat to Afghanistan GS Paper - 1 GS | Deepak UPSC Notes

India and WFP to Supply Wheat to Afghanistan

GS Paper - 1

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Poverty

Inclusive Growth

Important International Institutions

Food Security

Why in News?

Recently, India signed an agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for thedistribution of 50,000 MT of wheat that it has committed to sending to Afghanistan as part of a humanitarian assistance.

Earlier, the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was held. The meeting called for “urgent humanitarian assistance” to the Afghan people and urged close cooperation and consultation among the regional countries over the Afghan scenario.

What is the Wheat Agreement About?

The wheat will be taken through Pakistan to the Afghan border crossing and handed over to WFP officials in Kandahar beginning February 2022.

Iran has also offered to facilitate some of the wheat through Chabahar port and then on to Afghanistan’s border via Zahedan.

What is the Major Concern in Fulfilling the Agreement?

The route via Pakistan, which has been closed for all exports from India since 2019, and opened only as an exception, is likely to require several weeks for the transport of the current consignment, as infrastructure and labour required to load and reload the wheat has to be organised.

Pakistan had shut down all trade with India to protest the government’s changes in Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370 in August 2019.

What is the United Nations World Food Programme?

About:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organisation saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.

It was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.

It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organisations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The WFP assists 88 countries, and has assisted 97 million people (in 2019) which is the largest number since 2012.

The WFP has been awarded with the Nobel Prize for Peace 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

Major Reports:

Global Report on Food Crisis.