Food Distribution to Tsunami Affected Areas

 
The Centre for National Operations (CNO) has given the highest priority in meeting the nutritional requirements of affected persons from the time the Centre was set up to date. The role of the CNO has been to look at the total food needs of the affected population and to co-ordinate all arrangements between government, donor agencies, NGOs and private individuals to meet this need.
 
Whilst the first priority is to meet the basic calorie and protein requirements, the second has been to add quality to the diet by looking at dietary diversification and to cater to those with special nutritional requirements. These special groups include expectant and nursing mothers, infants and children.

The initial food requirements of 5,600 metric tonnes was met and exceeded in the first two weeks through purchases made by the government's Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation (RRR), the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare and donations of the World Food Programme (WFP).
The WFP met most of the food requirements in this initial period by providing 5,300 metric tons of food including rice, dhal, sugar and wheat flour for 750,000 persons.

Approximately 80 per cent of this quantity was sent to the North and East, with the remaining 20 per cent to the South, in accordance with the proportionate number of affected persons, the Centre for National Operations said yesterday.
In order to increase variety, the CNO is considering the inclusions of the following in the proposed diet for affected persons: Vegetables and fruits; An additional source of cereal - wheat; Animal protein.

Several donor countries and the WFP have been approached with the aim of obtaining canned fish and wheat flour. In planning its strategy for the next six months,
 
 
 
  the CNO is using provisional numbers of one million affected persons requiring 84,000 tons of food. Out of this requirement, the WFP will donate 64,000 metric tonnes under its emergency operation. A few others have also offered large quantities of cereal.