Donors losing interest in providing food for Rohingyas: WFP

ROME (Italy), Feb 13 (UNB): Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley has said donor agencies are gradually losing their interest in providing food assistance for the displaced Rohingyas who have taken shelter in Bangladesh.

The WFP executive director came up with the information during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her hotel suite on Monday evening (local time).

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the WFP is playing a leading role in feeding one million displaced Myanmar Rohingyas living in Bangladesh and mentioned that they have distributed food items worth USD 80 million among the Rohingyas in the last six months.

As per the WFP assessment, he said, some USD 20-25 million is needed to feed the Rohingyas a month.

"He (Beasley) informed the Prime Minister that the interest of the donor agencies to feed the Rohingyas is decreasing and the WFP is trying to keep alive this interest among the donor agencies under the UN system. But it's very difficult for them to keep it up," Shahidul Haque said.

The WFP executive director also expressed concern over the possibility of mudslide in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar during monsoon.

David Beasley apprised Sheikh Hasina of various campaigns the WFP is carrying out in the international arena over the Rohingya issue.

Beasley said the WFP thinks that the international community will take steps against the atrocities that took place against the Rohingyas in Rakhine state of Myanmar.