Since 1979, the World Food Day (also known as World Hunger Day) has reminded of people in distress – but also of the achievements in combating hunger and malnutrition.
The urgency of the topic is shown by figures: Almost three quarters of a billion people are affected by hunger or malnutrition according to the United Nations. Every ten seconds, a child dies because it does not have enough food. The global community is far from reaching the goal of zero hunger by 2030. Solutions are required.
The World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. In accordance with the motto “Saving Lives, Changing Lives”, WFP’s top priorities include to fight hunger, to improve nutrition, to ensure access to food and to promote sustainable agriculture. Since July 2022, we have assumed the mandate to audit the WFP – a task of utmost importance.
Eventually, the aid has to reach the people. That is WFP’s goal and we are committed to achieving this goal in our daily work.
A team of 20 auditors from the Bundesrechnungshof conducts fieldwork in the countries concerned and looks at how cash and, most importantly, food is distributed to the people in need. Since: Taking a close look is a major part of audit work.
Dr. Dirk Salmon, auditor, checks an inkjet mark printer used to mark food packages and bags to ensure that they really reach the people in need Source: Bundesrechnungshof.
“Conducting fieldwork here in the countries concerned is not only a job, it is a passion”, says Stefan Schlereth, auditor, who has just returned from Addis Ababa due to a 14-day official trip to the country office in Ethiopia. “There are repeatedly very touching moments. For example in the context of personal encounters with the local people. Then it becomes clear how valuable each relief is and how careful the organisation has to be to ensure that the people in need receive as much as possible.”
Marcel Dinkel, Dr. Dirk Salmon, Stefan Beyer and Stefan Schlereth (from left to right): four auditors from the Finance und Performance Team of the WFP unit during an audit exercise in Addis Ababa Source: Bundesrechnungshof.
Ethiopia, Burundi, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and the regional bureaux in Johannesburg and Cairo – these are only some of the places the auditors have already visited since the beginning of the WFP mandate in July 2022. And it continues: Colombia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and the regional bureaux in Dakar, Nairobi and Panama. We will keep you informed of the stories our colleagues experience during their audit work, the people they meet and the results of their audit work.
BRH audit team at country office in Burundi, East Africa: Robert Dürrschmidt, Andrea Schuch, Mouhssin Saidi, Dr. Karsten Asbahr (from left to right) Source: Bundesrechnungshof.
Would you already like to have more information on our commitment in the World Food Programme? Please see here for background information.
