Covid-19: US launches food aid project in Dhaka
A new $7 million food assistance project has been launched to help poor households in Dhaka at high risk of Covid-19.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller, State Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru and Country Representative of the World Food Programme Richard Ragan launched the initiative today.
The programme will be funded by the US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger and promoting food security. Brac will also partner WFP.
The programme will complement ongoing efforts by Bangladesh to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the US Embassy in Dhaka.
It will provide aid to 50,000 people living in low-income areas of Kalyanpur and Sattala Bosti by delivering food packages to families who are quarantined due to a family member being infected.
Additionally, area residents will receive cash-based transfers for free or low-cost fresh vegetables from Bangladeshi farmers, and other nutritious foods from local vendors.
As the program expands, it will work with local farmers, helping to re-establish linkages among families, markets, and local agricultural production.
As additional funding is received from other donors, WFP plans to expand this pilot project to other urban areas in the country.
In Bangladesh, the US government, through USAID alone, has provided nearly $37 million to support Covid-19 response efforts.
"No family should face hunger because they are staying in their home to help stop the spread of Covid-19," said US Ambassador Earl Miller. "This pilot programme will help households in these low-income urban areas of Dhaka get the nutritious food they need to stay healthy during these difficult days."
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