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Food still most urgent priority for many in Sidr-hit areas

WFP, SDC help Sidr victims

UNB, Dhaka
World Food Programme (WFP) continues to make progress in serving victims and has dispatched required food to feed over 2.3 million people in the affected areas since cyclone Sidr hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh late last year.
WFP's field monitor's report shows that food still remains the most urgent priority for many families in cyclone-affected areas who are expecting their aman harvest in November or December 2008.
Households are lacking food reserves or sufficient income to pay for food in the aftermath of Sidr.
"Food insecurity coupled with rising food prices, and high and increasing malnutrition rates all point to the need for continuing relief assistance in worst affected areas until the fresh aman harvest in November-December," said Edward Kalion, WFP Bangladesh countrydirector.
"With the generous support of various donors. WFP delivered over
63,300 tons of emergency food assistance to the hungry, homeless and vulnerable people during the emergency operations," he said.
WFP recently completed its seventh rounds of general food distribution that started on May 31.
Under the programme, 1,502,000 beneficiaries received 12,000 tons of food assistance to meet their immediate food needs.
WFP, in collaboration with the government and a number of prequalified NGO partners, is providing food rations consisting of rice, pulses, edible oil, blended food, salt and high energy biscuits.
Swiss Agency for Development Meanwhile, some 2,962 Sidr-affected families in the country are now rebuilding their livelihood and striving to stand back on their feet with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
With the TK 15,000 cash grant received from SDC, each household has bought cows, fishing nets, boats or invested in small busi-nes^es, agricultural farming or in
other income generating activities, said a press release.
Momin, a person with disability of Chai Rayenda village, has bought a milking cow and hopes that he will be able to support his family by sellingthemilk.
Ripia Begum of village Jilbunia has resumed her door-to-door cloth selling business she had before cyclonic Sidr struck in November 2007.
Under SDC's 'Cash for Livelihood' (CFL) project, Tk 15,000 was paid unconditionally in one installment during May in the worst affected Rayenda and SouthkhaJi unions at Sharankhola in Bagerhat.
The selection of beneficiaries as well as disbursement of the cash was completed in close collaboration with the local administration, Union Parishad elected representatives and local NGO partners.
The total SDC assistance for the Sidr-affected region amounts to $7 njijlion.