Govt., World Food Program in $ 34.8 m new initiative

Saturday, 9 August 2014 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has taken effective measures in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) to improve the health status of children and lactative mothers by recognising the importance of the balanced growth of a child through the ‘Mahinda Chintana’ Vision for the Future. Accordingly, the World Food Program has agreed to extend the food aid assistance through the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2013 – 2017).

For this purpose, a Letter of Understanding was signed on 5 August 2014 at the Ministry of Finance and Planning by P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka Ismail Omer, Representative on behalf of the World Food Program. The objective of the PRRO program is to strengthen national capacities to address acute malnutrition among children aged from 6 to 59 months and pregnant, lactating women while improving their food security. It is also expected to provide assistance in emergency situations such as drought, flood under the above program. The total cost of the PRRO program is US $ 34,799,036. Out of which US $ 23,482,866 will be the direct WFP grant assistance. The estimated total number of beneficiaries is 435,000. This program will be executed by the Ministry of Economic Development and implemented through the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Education Services, Ministry of Co-operative and Internal Trade, relevant Ministries of the Northern Provincial Council and the respective District Secretariats.