U.S. Government Pledges $95M to Fight Hunger

Two U.S.-funded programs signed agreements with the Government of Bangladesh on August 3 as part of a newly expanded effort to reduce hunger and improve nutrition in Bangladesh. Nobo Jibon (New Life) and PROSHAR (Program for Strengthening Household Access to Resources) will receive approximately Tk. 6.555 Billion (US$ 95M) from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) over the next five years. Through these new initiatives, USAID will work to increase incomes of the poor and ultra poor, improve the health and nutrition of women and children, and strengthen households' resiliency to natural disasters in Bangladesh's two southern divisions.

The $95 million in funding includes both cash resources and a total of 229,742 metric tons of wheat, lentils, yellow split peas, and vegetable oil. PROSHAR will be implemented in the Khulna division by ACDI/VOCA, a U.S.-based NGO. Nobo Jibon will be implemented in the Barisal division by Save the Children, USA. Together, these programs aim to reach approximately 900,000 households.

The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, represented by the Disaster Management and Relief Division of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, is contributing over Tk. 324M (US$ 4.7 million) to support PROSHAR and Nobo Jibon. These funds will be used by ACDI/VOCA and Save the Children for technical assistance as well as health and disaster management training. Funds will also be used to complete community infrastructure projects and respond to disasters such as floods and cyclones in the Khulna and Barisal Divisions.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, is working to improve the lives of the people of Bangladesh, especially the very poor. USAID administers programs in Bangladesh in five broad areas: improving health and pre-primary education, creating income opportunities for rural poor, supporting good governance, enhancing food security, and strengthening disaster preparedness and providing emergency assistance following natural disasters. Since 1971, the U.S. Government has provided more than $5 billion in assistance to Bangladesh.

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