PepsiCo helps Libyans through UN’s World Food Programme

PepsiCo, the global food and beverage company, and its partner, African Bottling Operations, have made a contribution of $250,000 to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help provide critical assistance to thousands of Libyans who face food insecurity.
“With so many people in desperate need in Libya and around the world, we feel that it is our responsibility to provide whatever support we can to help alleviate their situation,” said Omar Farid, president of PepsiCo Middle East and Africa.
He added: “PepsiCo is focused on delivering sustainable long-term growth while leaving a positive imprint on society and the environment — inclusive of supporting WFP’s disaster relief in the Middle East region, this is what we call Performance with Purpose. PepsiCo has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme for almost a decade, as a core component of our commitment to the local community. There is considerable work that can be done to provide more support to those who need it, and we encourage our peers in the corporate world to extend their goodwill toward noble causes.”
Wagdi Othman, WFP Libya country director, said: “Over one million people in Libya are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. With food insecurity on the rise, people often have to resort to cutting meals, taking their children out of school or cutting health care expenses. This timely contribution from PepsiCo and its partner, African Bottling Operations, is a vital step in easing the worsening food shortages affecting many vulnerable families.”
WFP will use this humanitarian donation from PepsiCo and African Bottling Operations to deliver food rations to more than 17,000 people in Libya. Each ration provides a family of five people with a month’s supply of rice, pasta, wheat flour, chickpeas, vegetable oil, sugar and tomato paste.
In 2017, WFP aims to assist 175,000 Libyans affected by food insecurity. Priority is given to the most vulnerable families, especially internally displaced people, returnees and refugees, as well as households headed by unemployed women.
The humanitarian situation in Libya continues to deteriorate as a result of instability and disruption of markets and local food production, all of which negatively affect families’ livelihoods and their ability to meet basic needs, including food.