World Food Programme

World Food Programme

World Food Programme
WFP Headquarters in Rome
Abbreviation	WFP, PAM
Formation	1961
Type	UN Humanitarian Programme
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	Rome, Italy
Head	Ertharin Cousin
Website	www.wfp.org

The World Food Programme (WFP; French: Programme alimentaire mondial; Italian: Programma alimentare mondiale; Spanish: Programa Mundial de Alimentos; Arabic: برنامج الأغذية العالمي, barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; Russian: Всемирная продовольственная программа, Vsemirnaya prodovol'stvennaya programma; Chinese: 联合国世界粮食计划署, Liánhéguó shìjiè liángshí jìhuà shǔ) is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. According to the WFP, it provides food assistance to an average of 80 million people in 75 countries each year. From its headquarters in Rome and from more than 80 country offices around the world, the WFP works to help people who cannot produce or obtain enough food for themselves and their families. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.

WFP was first established in 1961 after the 1960 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Conference, when George McGovern, director of the US Food for Peace Programmes, proposed establishing a multilateral food aid programme. The WFP was formally established in 1963 by the FAO and the United Nations General Assembly on a three-year experimental basis. In 1965, the programme was extended to a continuing basis.

The WFP is governed by an Executive Board which consists of representatives from 36 member states. Ertharin Cousin is the current Executive Director, appointed jointly by the UN Secretary General and the Director-General of the FAO for a five-year term. She heads the Secretariat of the WFP. The European Union is a permanent observer in the WFP and, as a major donor, participates in the work of its Executive Board.