DUSHANBE, February 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — On Monday February 2, The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) morning signed an agreement for the provision of food commodities to the most vulnerable people in Tajikistan.
According to press release issued by the WFP CO Tajikistan, the value of the Japanese contribution is US$ 4.7 million and will be used to purchase some 6,000 metric tons of wheat flour and 1,200 metric tons of pulses for distribution to food-insecure people in Tajikistan through the World Food Programme activities in the country.
“This contribution comes at a critical time during winter when many Tajik people face a daily dilemma deciding between spending what little money they have on food or on heating,” said Zlatan Milisic, WFP’s Country Director in Tajikistan, during the signing ceremony.
The World Food Programme aims to reach almost 1.2 million vulnerable people in Tajikistan through a variety of programs with 91,394 MT of food commodities at an overall cost of US$ 81.3 million. The project started in July 2007 and will run until the end of 2009.
The number of beneficiaries targeted by WFP was increased twice during 2008, first after the particularly harsh winter and the energy crisis early in the year and again towards the end of the year following a joint food security and livelihoods assessment which revealed that a total of 2.2 million people were food insecure in Tajikistan.
Most of the food commodities provided by JICA to WFP will contribute to the preparation of hot meals which are provided on a daily basis to some 370,000 primary school children in 51 districts in the country through the Food For Education Programme and to the provision of dry food rations for up to 448,000 severely food insecure people through the Vulnerable Group Feeding Programme. Regular activities such as Food for Health, which supports TB patients and malnourished children, Food for Work and Emergency Response will also benefit from this contribution.
“This Japanese contribution brings our resourcing level for 2009 to over 50% of the needs”, Mr. Milisic added at the ceremony, indicating that so far the organization has secured food commodities to reach half of the targeted beneficiaries in 2009, “that is a very encouraging start of the new year, we hope that more donors will come forward and provide funds to cover the remaining food assistance needs in the country.”
