The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a contribution of 350 metric tons of dates from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia worth US$723,000 to support refugees living in camps in Algeria.
The Saudi dates were meant to be distributed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in April and May since they are a traditional food for the breaking of the fast. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have delayed the shipment of the dates to Algeria.
“While it is unfortunate that we were not able to distribute the dates during Ramadan, we were happy to distribute this nutritious dried fruit just before the holy festival of Eid al-Adha in July,” said WFP Country Director and Representative in Algeria during the ceremony that was delayed due to the global pandemic. “We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud as well as the Saudi Arabian people for their generous contribution, which is even more crucial during the current pandemic,”
Dates are very nutritious and highly appreciated by the refugees. This contribution of Saudi dates complements the basic food rations of thousands of Sahrawi refugees to help diversify their diet and cover their food and nutritional requirements.
Saudi Arabia is a key donor to WFP in Algeria, contributing US$6.4 million since 2010.
Original source: WFP