World Food Programme acting executive director Carl Skau reaffirmed its commitment to mobilising food aid for 1.3 million Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh, saying the crisis remains one of the Rome-based UN agency鈥檚 top agenda.
The acting WFP chief made the comments when he called on chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday, IST, at a hotel in the Italian capital, said chief adviser鈥檚 press wing.
The meeting focused primarily on the ongoing Rohingya crisis, famine situations in Gaza and Sudan, and the growing challenges in mobilizing funds to combat global hunger affecting tens of millions.
Skau praised Yunus for his leadership over the past 15 months, particularly his unwavering efforts to bring international attention back to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
Both leaders emphasised the urgent need for increased funding to support the Rohingyas residing in camps in Bangladesh.
Skau commended the September 30 high-level UN meeting on the Rohingya issue-convened at Professor Yunus鈥檚 request-stating that it had successfully 鈥榖rought international attention back to the crisis.鈥�
鈥業t was an important meeting. We must ensure it remains high on the international agenda,鈥� said Skau.
The duo also discussed the potential for securing funding from new sources, including wealthy nations and multilateral financial institutions.
Skau noted that following fresh humanitarian aid commitments from the United States and the United Kingdom announced during the UN high-level meeting in New York, WFP would continue providing the $12 monthly food stipend to each Rohingya.
Professor Yunus expressed appreciation for WFP鈥檚 global leadership in combating hunger and famine. He also thanked the UN agency for its support in launching a new school feeding programme in Bangladesh.
鈥楽ome Asian countries have made amazing progress with school feeding. We aim to strengthen our efforts, ensuring both quality and gradual expansion,鈥� he said.
The discussion also touched on the hunger conditions in the world. Skau mentioned WFP鈥檚 ongoing efforts to deliver hundreds of food trucks into Gaza, amid rising food insecurity affecting nearly 300 million people globally.
Food adviser Ali Imam Majumder, fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter, SDG coordinator Lamiya Morshed and foreign secretary Asad Alam Siam were present at the meeting.
Later, Bangladeshi community leaders in Italy met Professor Yunus at his hotel in Rome on the same day.
On Monday, Food and Agricultural Organisation director-general Qu Dongyu met the chief adviser on the sidelines of the FAO-organised World Food Forum flagship event in Rome of Italy.
During the meeting, Qu Dongyu assured continued support to Bangladesh in developing its deep-sea fishing industry and enhancing agricultural exports, particularly in fruits.
In another meeting, Djibouti prime minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed sought advice from Yunus on microfinance and expressed keen interest in adopting microfinance strategies in the majority-Muslim East African country.
Earlier, the chief adviser expressed his deep appreciation to the Mayor of Rome for supporting the Bangladeshi community, noting their successful cultural integration and contributions both to Italian society and to the Bangladeshi economy during a meeting with the mayor.
Meanwhile Brazilian president Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva expressed his interest in visiting Bangladesh in the coming months, hoping the visit would strengthen ties between the two nations.
