Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives are the member in the board. The member states contribute to the food bank depending on their population and capacity. Most of the SAARC countries are facing food deficit with the Maldives having food production level at almost nil.
“The board agreed to double the present stock at the food bank to 486,000 tons, taking into account the large population in the region, overall production of grains, growing demand, increased vulnerabilities to natural disaster and climate change-related pressures.
Ganesh Dhakal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), who attended the meeting, said the upcoming meeting of SAARC agriculture ministers would endorse the board´s decision to pave the way for speedy implementation of the decision.
“The existing stock is hardly sufficient to distribute relief to victims during natural disasters. The decision to raise the stock has been taken so that the food in reserve can be distributed to areas facing food shortage,” Dhakal told myrepublica.com on Wednesday.
Currently, India has been making the highest contribution in the food bank with 152,000 tons whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh are contributing 40,000 tons each. Nepal and Sri Lanka contribute 4,000 tons each, followed by Afghanistan (1,420 tons), Bhutan (180 tons) and the Maldives (200 tons).
As per the agreement among the member countries, relief food has to be distributed after the formal reporting about the natural disaster to the SAARC Food Bank secretariat in the premises of SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu.
“Emergency response for the distribution of relief materials will be coordinated by the nodal officers of respective countries,” said Dhakal.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
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