Maungdaw, Arakan State: The World Food Program (WFP) distributed rice to poor villagers in Maungdaw Township, in Arakan State, yesterday, a village elder said.

The WFP provided rice to 11 villages of Bawli Bazaar village tract in Maungdaw Township.  However, it only provided rice to 1,500 poor families and widows in the village tract.

The WFP provided 5 kgs of rice per head per family. Some of the families got the rice yesterday and some will receive it today.

In the open market, a 50 kg bag of local rice is sold at Kyat 12,000 while a bag from WFP is Kyat 13,000 because it is of good quality. A kg of rice is being sold at Kyat 250 in local markets, said a rice trader.

A local widow said, “It is a great help as we are suffering from food crisis and have no job or money to buy rice.”

“There was a time when we never had food crisis, but at present, the junta has pushed us into poverty and to a famine like situation,” a local elder said.

Earlier, in February, this year, the WFP financially supported 60 families, which grew ladies finger in their villages in Maung Nama and Naing Chaung villages of Maungdaw Township. It will also provide rice to these families four times a year.

With WFP help some of the very poor villagers are able to support their family members, otherwise, they face acute financial crisis. They have no jobs, while strict movement restrictions have been imposed on them, said a local trader on condition of anonymity. ##