WFP wants safe passage in Tarai for food aid

KATHMANDU, March 14: The UN food agency World Food Program has urged agitating groups in the Tarai to allow free movement of vehicles transporting humanitarian foods supplies. [break]



WFP said it has been unable to deliver food assistance to more than 325,000 highly food-insecure people across Nepal, including Koshi flood victims and the Bhutanese refugees, due to disruption in transportation for the last two weeks.



“The WFP will be organizing convoys of humanitarian food assistance. These trucks will be moving along multiple sections of the East-West Highway and toward Birendranagar in Surkhet,” said UN agency in a statement Friday.



Due to frequent disruption in deliveries of food, dozen of districts in mid-western and far-western region are reeling under food shortage for the last two weeks.



The WFP has also welcomed the public announcement from some protesting groups stating that they would allow WFP-convoys to move freely throughout the Tarai.



“I urge all parties and individuals to provide unhindered access for WFP convoys so that critical humanitarian assistance can be delivered to affected populations in a timely and safe manner,” Richard Ragan, WFP’s country representative to Nepal, said in the statement.

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