Japanese envoy praises WFP flood recovery operation

The Ambassador on Saturday saw rice distribution under WFP's Flood Recovery Emergency Operation (EMOP) in Sayedabad union in Sirajgonj district. Japan donated 12,528 tonnes of rice now being distributed in six districts under the programme.

The EMOP programme was started in August last year immediately after the flood, targeting about five million people. The programme will end in August this year.

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"WFP is helping to rehabilitate flood affected poor families through food-based activities," said the ambassador.

"I am particularly glad to learn that female-led households, pregnant and nursing women, children under 3 and primary school children have been receiving specific assistance in the form of blended food, rice and fortified biscuits".

The ambassador, on his way to Sirajgonj, visited a biscuit factory at Kaliakoir, Gazipur, where biscuits enriched with vitamins and minerals are produced for WFP. WFP gives these fortified biscuits under its School Feeding/Nutrition for Education programme to over one million school children in 6,000 primary schools located in food insecure districts.

Describing Japan as a very sincere partner of WFP and Bangladesh, WFP Representative Douglas Casson Coutts said, WFP Representative Douglas Casson Coutts accompanied the ambassador during the visit. He said the Japanese government earlier provided about 6,000 MT of wheat for WFP's VGD programme.