Sweden donates $ 2.3 million to WFP’s food supply program in Bangladesh
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is to provide cash assistance to more than 3,000 households in two cities in Dhaka, along with improved access to nutritious food.
The move comes after WFP received an additional grant of 2.3 million dollars from Sweden to support vulnerable urban households affected by the covid-19 pandemic, says a press release from WFP.
“Covid-19 has had a negative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, not least when it comes to food security. With this support through WFP, we hope to be able to reach the most affected in urban areas. It is central not to leave anyone behind,” says Alexandra Berg von Linde, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh.
Richard Ragan, WFP’s country manager, said: “WFP is very grateful to Sweden for supporting the continuation of this important program. What started as an attempt to reach people worst affected by Covid-19, now has the potential to have a lasting impact on human life.
“The model has been developed into one that the government can scale up for national programs for safety nets in cities.”
Through cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the BRAC, WFP links farmers and producers with local retailers to ensure that families have a steady supply of fresh food to eat, the press release states.
The program also benefits informal vegetable cart sellers by creating income opportunities, and women by including them in farmer groups.
Sweden has supported WFP’s Rohingya response and food security in the cities of Dhaka by USD 6 million since 2018. In addition, Sweden was the largest total donor of flexible funding for WFP 2020.