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France’s Olympique Marseille soccer club is supporting the World Food Programme’s food assistance operations in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country teetering on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe.
PARIS - In the latest example of the sporting world joining the fight against hunger, Olympique Marseille has donated $15,000 to WFP school meals programmes in the Central African Republic.
The generous donation was presented on 22nd March during the OM match and comes at a crucial time. "The people of CAR, particularly women and children, need us now. We must act before the rains exacerbate the tragic situation,' WFPs Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin, said after last week's visit to the violence-torn country.
CAR crisisThis year, despite logistical and security challenges, WFP has provided food to more than 250,000 people a month in CAR. With the money raised by the soccer club, WFP will feed children through a school meals programme, preventing malnutrition among those who have been forced from their homes due to the on-going violence.
The Director of WFP France expressed her gratitude in a statement to the OM: "I warmly thank the OM's commitment and great support to the Central African children" she said. "This is the first donation from the French private sector to CAR - these partnerships are a precious fight against hunger and should create followers in the football community."
Partnership to fight hungerPresident of the OM, Vincent Labrune says: "With our essential values such as solidarity, mutual aid and sharing, it was only right that the OM joined forces with WFP in the fight against worldwide hunger."
The OM kicked off its partnership with WFP last autumn on World Food Day and aims to raise awareness of the issue of hunger and encourage people to donate to WFP.
