Lessons from 30 years: a brief history of WFP in Bangladesh

WFP assistance to Bangladesh started in 1974 as a welfare relief operation focused on center-based feeding. Over the next decades it gradually evolved as a development intervention, in accordance with the evolving socioeconomic scenario of Bangladesh. While food still remains a central component of intervention, the objectives have changed from life saving to development and livelihoods promotion. As an accompaniment to food aid, the 'development package' has evolved to include legal and social awareness, training on income generating activities and skills and access to micro-finance. The underlying hypothesis to the 'food plus development approach' is faith in the individual to better his/her status when given a chance. WFP presents this opportunity in the form of skills in IGA, awareness about one's rights and duties and through access to the initial start-up finance. The evolution of the programme involved an increased sharing of design and implementation responsibilities with partners: Government, NGOs, Community Based Organizations and with the beneficiaries themselves.