ETHIOPIA: WFP to feed HIV-positive adults and OVC

ADDIS ABABA, 7 April 2006 (PlusNews) - The World Food Programme (WFP) and the government of Ethiopia's Amhara state are collaborating to assist children and adults affected by HIV/AIDS.

In a statement WFP said the project was part of ongoing national efforts in AIDS care and support, and would distribute 61.5 kg of food per month to family units, while orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) would each receive 19.5 kg.

A local AIDS lobby group, 'Dawn of Hope', welcomed the initiative as a timely intervention for millions of children already battling social isolation and discrimination as a result of the pandemic.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) recently estimated that around 4.6 million of Ethiopia's children, or 13 percent, had been orphaned by AIDS, poverty and famine.