Child malnutrition is an ongoing concern in the tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka. As reported in the April 26 issue of the local newspaper the Daily Mirror, a joint medical survey conducted by the Medical Research Institute and UNICEF found that 16 percent of children under the age of five in tsunami-affected areas suffer from short-term malnutrition and 35 percent are underweight.

To help address this problem, PG05 has joined with the World Food Programme (WFP), Sri Lankan Ministry of Health (MOH), and IsraAID, a coordinating body of Israeli and Jewish organizations relief agencies, in the Mother and Child Nutrition Programme. The programme, which is funded by IsraAID, will provide supplementary nutrition for more than 1,800 expectant and nursing mothers, as well as more than 15,000 children up to five years of age.

According to the joint agreement, the WFP will provide 50 tons of a corn/soya blend. PG05 will store the blend in one of its two warehouses, where volunteers will package the blend into smaller quantities for individual use. PG05 will add a separate packet of sugar and coconut oil and package the three items together for distribution. We will then transport the supplementary nutrition packages to the six MOH offices in Galle Province for eventual distribution to the targeted population. PG05 also proposes to build temporary storage facilities at each of the six MOH sites. In addition, we will provide transport and pay the expenses for qualified individuals who will train mothers on the proper uses of the blend.