Sierra Leone News: WFP food shortage concerns families dealing with HIV/AIDS

Society

World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations announced that food supplied to students and families living with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans is in short supply of rice and cooking oil. On 11 September 2018 the UN food agency said they are short of 18 metric tons of rice and cooking oil. WFP has been supplying food to affected families for the past 12 years through Happy Kids and NETHIPS for distribution. Three times a year WFP gives families bags of rice and gallons of cooking oil. The families are referred to the WFP program from the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) as living positively with HIV or impacted by AIDS. Approximately 100 children in six districts including Western Rural, Bombali, Pujehun, Bo, Kenema, and Kono have received food over the years. Whilemina Bah is the Western Area Coordinator for NETHIPS. She said the nutritional support will probably come to an end this year, meaning the families will no longer be supplied their regular rice and cooking oil. She explained because of the short supply a bag of rice will now be shared among three children instead of two, while a gallon of cooking oil meant for one will be shared to two. Betty Dawo, a beneficiary of the food supplies, said, “Now the nutrition support is dwindling, parents and caregivers should hang heads and come up with innovative ideas to augment the dwindling effects of nutrition support from WFP.” Program Officer, Happy Kids, Albertina Campbell, said monitoring visits to homes and schools is key, and evidence shows that the lack of nutritious food as well as inconsistency of drug administration caused illness among the children. Some of the children get sick and are unable to attend school, causing low grades and failures. She blamed some parents and caregivers who cannot give adequate attention to their children. A senior secondary school student in Freetown living positively with HIV showed concern over the lethargy of some health workers where she collects her medication. At times she has to wait for hours to collect her medication. “In the process, I sometimes go to school late or I miss school.”

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