Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Jamal Amer, met on Tuesday with the Resident Representative of the World Food Programme (WFP), Pierre Honnorat, and his deputy in the capital, Sana’a
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister expressed his frustration with the repeated importation of rotten food by the UN program, citing issues with poor transportation and storage.
He emphasized that such practices turn aid into a tool for harming beneficiaries rather than helping them survive.
The Minister stressed the importance of avoiding such serious violations in the future, as they jeopardize the lives and health of recipients.
He called for all humanitarian food assistance provided by the WFP to meet international standards and specifications, ensuring it has an adequate shelf life.
In response, Pierre Honnorat and his deputy offered a strong apology for the incident and expressed their regret, assuring that such a situation would not recur.
Honnorat also presented a report on the program’s work plan for the first quarter of 2025, outlining efforts to increase the number of beneficiaries in the coming year, as well as the implementation of the remaining aspects of the 2024 work plan.
Finally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs directed the establishment of a committee made up of representatives from the Ministry’s international cooperation sector, the Ministries of Social Affairs and Health, and the General Organization for Standardization and Metrology. The committee will examine and evaluate the rotten food shipment and provide a comprehensive report on their findings.
