WFP committed to Egypt during crisis

CAIRO, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The World Food Program said it was ready to respond with food assistance to Egyptians as political unrest closes much of the national economy.

Egyptians are on a general strike in response Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's refusal to step down.

The United Nations' World Food Program warned last week that the world was entering "an era of food volatility" as rising prices, biofuels and the environment drag on availability.

Gianpietro Bordignon, the WFP representative to Egypt, said in a statement that his agency was delivering rations to thousands of vulnerable Egyptian families during the political crisis.

"We are committed to maintaining nutritional assistance to the most vulnerable Egyptians and especially children at a time when poverty and the economic slowdown will hit the country's poorest population," he said in a statement.

The WFP said its operations in Egypt are functioning at "full capacity" in parts of the country that aren't directly affected by the political unrest.

"WFP will increase its efforts to mobilize support to address food insecurity and malnutrition by expanding our safety net programs as needs grow," added Bordignon.