The World Food Programme will assist with food assistance programmes in Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated agricultural infrastructure systems including irrigation tanks and roads, UN Information Centre said on Tuesday.

The following is the full text of the communique issued by the centre.The World Food Programme in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Development and local farmers’ organizations recently started its first food-for-work activity in Chalambam in Mathai West Division of Mannar. The inauguration was initiated by the farmers themselves, Ms. A. Stanley de Mel, the Assistant Commissioner for Agrarian Development, Mannar District and Mr. Hakan Tongul, WFP Assistant Country Director from the Colombo office. Under this programme a 3-km irrigation channel system will be rehabilitated involving some 15O baneficiaries. Each participant will receive a family ration of rice, dhal, sugar, oil and canned fish for each day’s work. The work is estimated to be completed within two months to increase the efficiency of the flow of water in the channel system.

This is the first in a series of approximately 90 sites that WFP has agreed to assist with food assistance programmes in the districts of Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated agricultural infrastructure systems, including irrigation tanks and agricultural roads. The sites were identified through assessments carried out by the WFP with local authorities with the aim of selecting activities which would have the greatest impact with regard to increasing the local agricultural production. Areas where mines and UXOs presence were excluded. An estimated 13,500 beneficiaries will benefit directly from these food-for-work schemes. Food-for-work schemes are particularly suitable for targetting the poorest communities since by nature, beneficiaries would only participate in these schemes, only if there was no other alternative employment or activity during that particular time. The food-for-work schemes will be time-bound and implemented accordingly so as not to impede with other activities by the local communities, by taking into consideration planting/harvest activities and even fishing seasonalities.

WFP in partnership with local authorities aims to expand these schemes throughout the areas affected by the conflict. In addition to food rations, the WFP will also be supplying simple agricultural implements such as mammoties, pick axes etc., directly to the farmers organizations. However, the level of assistance is limited by the cash requirements that are needed for improving the schemes, such as sluice improvement and culverts for rural roads. Therefore, WFP is looking for other partners who would be in a position to assist with non-food, cash requirements for structural costs.

WFP offers rice, dhal, sugar.. for improving tanks, roads.. in north

The World Food Programme will assist with food assistance programmes in Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated agricultural infrastructure systems including irrigation tanks and roads, UN Information Centre said on Tuesday.

The following is the full text of the communique issued by the centre.The World Food Programme in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Development and local farmers’ organizations recently started its first food-for-work activity in Chalambam in Mathai West Division of Mannar. The inauguration was initiated by the farmers themselves, Ms. A. Stanley de Mel, the Assistant Commissioner for Agrarian Development, Mannar District and Mr. Hakan Tongul, WFP Assistant Country Director from the Colombo office. Under this programme a 3-km irrigation channel system will be rehabilitated involving some 15O baneficiaries. Each participant will receive a family ration of rice, dhal, sugar, oil and canned fish for each day’s work. The work is estimated to be completed within two months to increase the efficiency of the flow of water in the channel system.

This is the first in a series of approximately 90 sites that WFP has agreed to assist with food assistance programmes in the districts of Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated agricultural infrastructure systems, including irrigation tanks and agricultural roads.