The government of Japan has confirmed a contribution of Tk 42 crore to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support some of the disaster-prone areas of Bangladesh.
This was confirmed at a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives in Dhaka on Wednesday. The government of Bangladesh supports the programme by matching Japan’s donation, said a Japanese Embassy press release.
More than 400,000 people in the most disaster-prone upazilas in twelve of the poorest districts of Bangladesh will benefit from the Japanese contribution, which WFP will use to purchase 9,000 metric tonnes of cereals and 89 metric tonnes of canned fish. The handover ceremony was attended, among others, by State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Shiro Sadoshima and WFP Representative to Bangladesh Christa Räder.
Speaking on the occasion, Nanok said, “The people and government of Japan are an important development partner of Bangladesh. Japan has contributed significantly to infrastructure development, poverty alleviation and capacity building for Bangladeshi citizens.”
Ambassador Sadoshima said, “I visited several WFP project sites in the country and witnessed that this support programme has greatly contributed to improve the lives of people who have been affected by natural disasters and climate change, particularly for those who are socially and economically vulnerable. I strongly believe that this project will further improve their livelihood and enhance their resilience.”
“Bangladesh is considered one of the countries most at-risk to the effects of climate change. Thanks to Japan’s on-going assistance, thousands of vulnerable households will be better protected from future shocks, Räder said.
In food and cash for work projects, communities come together to repair and reinforce embankments, raise roads, excavate canals and ponds and elevate the ground around their houses in order to protect their communities from flooding, water-logging and increasing salinity, and to boost agricultural production.
-With The Independent input
