Former minister Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nooruddin Khan yesterday called for establishing an information cell and a disaster management fund for the Saarc countries to tackle natural disasters, such as earthquake.

He called on the Saarc leaders to discuss the issue in the upcoming summit and take steps to this end.

Speaking at a press briefing, General Nooruddin also urged the leaders to request the United Nations to set up a regional office of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) for the benefit of Saarc countries.

Referring to Monga, a near-famine situation prevailing in northern districts, he called on the government, World Bank and other donor agencies to establish a long-term fund to cope with the situation.

Mehbub Sadik, chairman of Social Centre for Opportunity and Optimistic Programmes (Scoop), said about 10 lakh people in 11 upazilas of Kurigram district face Monga for three months every year.

Dr NI Khan, president of the Academy of Development Science and Life Long Learning, was also present at the press briefing at the National Press Club.

On Eid day, Nooruddin Khan, who is the chief advisor of Scoop, has distributed relief among 300 Monga-hit families at village Khalilganj in Kurigram, they said.

The Scoop, Academy of Development Science and some local NGOs jointly arranged the relief distribution programme.