Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) will provide US$1.5 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue food and nutrition support to up to 31,000 Burmese refugees in south-eastern Bangladesh.
The donation will enable WFP to continue its work to improve food security and reduce undernutrition among registered refugees living in Kutupalong and Nayapara in Cox’s Bazar until the end of 2012, the WFP said.
WFP Representative in Bangladesh Christa Räder said these refugees are almost totally reliant on outside assistance for their daily food needs. “This generous contribution from the United States will allow us to continue providing this essential support.”
WFP provides a general ration to meet basic food needs and nutrition support, including supplementary feeding for pregnant and nursing women and children aged 6-23 months.
Moderately undernourished children aged 24-59 months are also provided with a take home supplementary feeding ration. In addition, WFP provides fortified biscuits to children in primary schools, pre-schools, older children enrolled in non-formal primary education institutions and adolescents attending literacy classes.
In 2011, WFP was able to protect the food and nutrition security of 23,965 Rohingya refugees through a fortnightly general food ration; delivered school feeding to 6,325 school children and adolescent literacy learners and other programs.
Since 1992, WFP has been providing food assistance to registered refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Northern Rakhine State in Burma, officially known as Myanmar.
BBN/SSR/AD-20July12-8:50 pm (BST)
