Bangladesh News

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday made an urgent appeal to international donors for an additional US$22 million to continue WFP’s emergency assistance to more than 2 million victims of Cyclone Sidr.

Despite immediate international and countrywide efforts to provide food, shelter and medical assistance following the November 15 storm, WFP estimates a requirement for 31,000 metric tons of food, at a cost of up to US$22 million, to meet the immediate food needs of vulnerable survivors in cyclone-affected areas.

“With the generous support of various donors WFP delivered 20,000 tons of emergency food straight to the hungry, homeless and vulnerable people during the relief operations,” WFP Bangladesh Country Director Douglas Broderick said in a statement released yesterday.

“But more food is needed for the poorest of the survivors who are trying to rebuild their homes and replant theirs fields for the next harvest,” the statement added.

WFP, through a US$52 million emergency operation, has provided immediate relief assistance to over 2.2 million cyclone-affected people in the southern coastal regions, helping them to restore livelihoods and rural community infrastructures.

“We need urgent funding now to continue the emergency food assistance that the survivors of Cyclone Sidr are depending on,” said Broderick.

If further funding is received, WFP will provide food-for-work rations or cash-for-work for individuals rebuilding homes and communities and to help in restoring livelihoods for families, the statement added.

WFP food assistance is helping meet immediate food needs of survivors of Cyclone Sidr where there is reduced overall food availability. Providing assisted-food rations consisting of rice, pulses, edible oil, blended food, salt and high energy biscuits, WFP will continue to deliver food assistance in the affected districts in collaboration with the Government and NGO partners.

Contributors to the WFP emergency operation in Bangladesh include Australia, Canada, European Commission, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Spain, USA, UN CERF and private donors.

Cyclone Sidr severely affected 9 million people and claimed 3,347 lives.