The World Food Program (WFP) and the government of Cameroon have entered into an agreement establishing a common framework for the implementation of 2008-2012 action plan for the country, according to official sources.
The two sides have also signed a letter of understanding on the continuation of the WFP emergency operation in support of refugees from Chad and the Central African Republic in the northern part of Cameroon, the WFP said in a statement Tuesday.
The country program, which will run from 2008 to 2012, provides a support of 7.2 billion CFA francs (about 14.4 million dollars), of which 33 percent are contributions from the Cameroonian government for basic education, food security and rural development.
Specifically, the WFP will provide 3,000 tons of food to more than 51,000 primary schoolchildren in the impoverished northern districts of the country, said the statement. In addition, over 5,200 girls are also set to be provided with WFP food rations.
Further, the WFP will also provide quality grains in sufficient quantities to villager granaries across the country. "12,900 people are set to benefit from the initiative," said the statement, which noted that more than 62 percent of the people targeted were women.
"The WFP has been participating in improving the food security of vulnerable populations in the north and extreme northern part of the country for many years now," Cameroon's Deputy Prime Minister Jean Kuete, who is also in charge of agriculture, said while witnessing the signing of the two documents.
The food assistance to refugees in northern Cameroon, which is expected to cover the period between March 2008 and February 2009,will involve 85,000 refugees, of whom 55,000 are from Chad while the remaining 30,000 are from the Central African Republic.
The WFP, according to the statement, has decided to provide food assistance to these refugees for 12 months for Central African refugees and 6 months for the Chadian ones.
The program, whose emphasis has been placed on children, pregnant women and breastfeeding-mothers, is estimated to cost a total of 9 billion CFA francs, according to WFP figures.
According to the statement, which was issued at the end of the signing ceremony, the provinces involved include Adamawa and East for Central African refugees and Langui in northern Cameroon for Chadian refugees.
The Cameroonian government, in accordance with the provisions of the agreements, will ensure the security of all humanitarian operation by providing military escorts to accompany distribution teams and food cargo.
Source:Xinhua
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