Govt may urge WFP for more food aid

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FE Report
The government might appeal the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for increased food aid to build up a comfortable food grain stock against the backdrop of crop damage by the floods, official source said.
The Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary, M Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, will meet a visiting high-powered executive of the UNWFP tomorrow (Wednesday) in Dhaka and request him for raising the food assistance to Bangladesh, the sources added.
The Senior Programme Adviser of the WFP South-East Asian Regional office in Bangkok, Gerald Daly, is now in Dhaka on a 12-day visit to discuss further WFP support in Bangladesh.
The WFP executive arrived in Dhaka on September 9 and he will stay here until September 20.
Sources in the WFP local office told the FE that during his visit, Gerald Daly would have talks with resident mission of different donors, senior government officials and local officials of the WFP.
The high profile official is expected to discuss with the donor agencies for mobilising funds for the WFP so that it could help Bangladesh, the official informed.
"After completion of the discussions, the WFP will frame a strategy and roadmap for its operation in Bangladesh in the coming days," the WFP official stated.
In the last fiscal 2006-07, the government received only $59.889 million worth of food aid, of which the WFP alone disbursed $55.42 million.
In 2005-06, the WFP disbursed food assistance worth $61.823 million against its total commitment of $185.235 million.