Govt steps up efforts to provide large food aid to 'monga' affected people
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Minister for Food and Disaster Management Dr Abdur Razzak Wednesday said that the government had undertaken substantial food aid and other programmes for the people of 'monga' affected districts of the northern region, reports BSS.
He said 2,200 families of each union of 'monga' affected districts - Rangpur, Gaibandha and Kurigram- would be brought under the VGF programme to provide each of the families with 20 kilograms of rice per month.
The minister said this while addressing a function at National Press Club here on " To Enhance Monga Coping Capacity" organised by Oxfam, an international humanitarian and development agency.
Oxfam's country director in Bangladesh Heather Blackwell chaired the function.
Advocate Fazle Rabbi, MP, Mahbub Ara Begum, MP, Mohammad Jafar Ali, MP, Brain Forey, Acting head of delegation of European Commission, Mujibur Rahman, Gangachara Upazila Parishad Chairman and Hossain Raja, Gaibandha Upazila Parishad Chairman, also spoke on the occasion.
Razzak said that the government had stepped up different efforts in coordination with other ministries to create job opportunities for the 'monga' affected people.
"The present government is considering undertaking long term programmes to make self-sufficient the monga affected people," he said.
60 million people out of the total 150 million (15 crore) have been living under the poverty line in Bangladesh, he said, adding thousands of people are living under the open sky amid rain and storm in Kamalapur and Karwan Bazar and other areas of the city.
" We should do something for those poor people to come out from such kind of poverty," Razzak said.
Heather Blackwell said that Oxfam would provide access to food and income support to 12,000 families during 'monga'.
He said during this lean period these landless and marginal farming families try to survive on one meal a day. Many of them are forced to sell their livestock and even lands.
"Over reliance on agricultural production, low level of economic development, inadequate investment in infrastructures and lack of initiatives to protect the communities from recurring floods are some contributing factors to this massive seasonal food insecurity," he added " with united effort by the government and development agencies this seasonal and widespread hunger and suffering can be averted."
He said 2,200 families of each union of 'monga' affected districts - Rangpur, Gaibandha and Kurigram- would be brought under the VGF programme to provide each of the families with 20 kilograms of rice per month.
The minister said this while addressing a function at National Press Club here on " To Enhance Monga Coping Capacity" organised by Oxfam, an international humanitarian and development agency.
Oxfam's country director in Bangladesh Heather Blackwell chaired the function.
Advocate Fazle Rabbi, MP, Mahbub Ara Begum, MP, Mohammad Jafar Ali, MP, Brain Forey, Acting head of delegation of European Commission, Mujibur Rahman, Gangachara Upazila Parishad Chairman and Hossain Raja, Gaibandha Upazila Parishad Chairman, also spoke on the occasion.
Razzak said that the government had stepped up different efforts in coordination with other ministries to create job opportunities for the 'monga' affected people.
"The present government is considering undertaking long term programmes to make self-sufficient the monga affected people," he said.
60 million people out of the total 150 million (15 crore) have been living under the poverty line in Bangladesh, he said, adding thousands of people are living under the open sky amid rain and storm in Kamalapur and Karwan Bazar and other areas of the city.
" We should do something for those poor people to come out from such kind of poverty," Razzak said.
Heather Blackwell said that Oxfam would provide access to food and income support to 12,000 families during 'monga'.
He said during this lean period these landless and marginal farming families try to survive on one meal a day. Many of them are forced to sell their livestock and even lands.
"Over reliance on agricultural production, low level of economic development, inadequate investment in infrastructures and lack of initiatives to protect the communities from recurring floods are some contributing factors to this massive seasonal food insecurity," he added " with united effort by the government and development agencies this seasonal and widespread hunger and suffering can be averted."