The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has begun delivering food supplies to people in the flood and landslide-affected districts of Banke, Bardiya and Achham.

A press release issued by the WFP Tuesday said the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) along with several NGO partners have been doing a terrific job under difficult conditions responding to the needs of the flood victims. “The government has now asked WFP to support these efforts with wider scale food distributions,” it said.

WFP’s initial response is based on the needs that have been identified by the NRCS. WFP assistance will be channelled through the NRCS, which has been given responsibility to coordinating the flood and drought relief efforts in the country. Relief materials like rice, fortified food and salt is enough to feed some 40,000 people for the next 30 days, it said.

“In addition to the immediate needs we are prepared to work with the government to support the longer term relief and recovery efforts. Should government request this support WFP would likely issue an international appeal to raise the resources,” WFP representative in Nepal Richard Raga said.

“Clearly there will be a need for both immediate care and longer term recovery support, particularly for those families that have lost everything,” added the WFP representative.

Thousands of people have been rendered homeless in western Terai districts due to recent flood triggered by late monsoon rains. At a meeting organised at the Finance Ministry on Monday, the government asked for more than Rs 250 million with donors for support to flood victims.