The men and woman of the World Food Programme (WFP) are risking their lives to save Syrians from starvation. 60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley followed WFP workers to the Syrian/Jordan border where more than one million refugees have crossed since the Syrian civil war started four years ago. Pelley described the Syrian conflict as “a war where starvation is a weapon and the US is playing a major role in feeding the hungry.”
The World Food Programme is a branch of the United Nations that has a staff of 11,500 people, the majority of whom work in remote areas. According to WFP, they reached 80.9 million people in 75 countries and provided 3.1 million tonnes of food in 2013. The organization is funded by voluntary donation from world governments, corporations, NGOS, and private donors. Chicago-born Ertharin Cousin is the current Executive Director of WFP. From 2009-2012 she served under President Obama as the US Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture. 60 Minutes will re-air Pelley’s report on August 9, 7pm on CBS. Here’s how to donate to WFP. There is also a USA branch of the World Food Program that supports the WFP — it’s here.
