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Download PDF The UN will give budgetary and food assistance to Bangladesh to help the people hit hard by sky rocketing food prices, visiting head of UNDP, Kemal Dervis, said yesterday.
Dervis however did not give a specific figure on the assistance, as he said it is currently being worked out with donors.
“As you know world food prices are going up quite a lot and those who have to buy food will be in difficult situations. We have to look at it internationally to get the help that is available,” said Dervis after a meeting with Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam.
Dervis said he told Azizul, “The UN, working with other parts of the international system, will do its best to increase the assistance to Bangladesh on this point.”
The government will expand social welfare to help the people tackle rising food prices, he quoted the adviser as saying.
“The best type of assistance is to support the budget and to find more resources for the Bangladeshi budget, and there might be direct food assistance and supplies,” said Dervis adding that budgetary support will be the best for reaching the hardest hit people.
The UNDP administrator also shed some light on the upside of the price rise, saying it will bring benefits to farmers and agricultural traders.
The government has recently revised its food assistance estimate to $85 million, up from the $60 million in the budget for the current fiscal.
Dervis said discussions between him and Azizul touched on agriculture, food issues, possibilities for energy development in Bangladesh, exports, the overall economic growth rate, attempts to increase national revenue earnings, and strengthening social safety nets.
Azizul however told waiting reporters that he did not bring up the food price situation with Dervis, but discussed climate change with him.
The adviser told Dervis that Bangladesh deserves more support to run climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, as the country will be at the forefront of victims of global warming.
“The UN official expressed full commitment and assured to sort out possible assistance through discussions,” said Azizul.
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