Kathmandu, January 29:

The Japanese government has agreed to extend a grant assistance of Rs 234 million to Nepal for food aid.

According to a release issued by the Japanese embassy today, Japanese ambassador to Nepal Tatsuo Mizuno and Finance Secretary Vidyadhar Mallik signed an agreement for the aid and exchanged the notes on behalf of their respective governments yesterday. The assistance has been provided with an aim to enable the government to procure rice and supply it within Nepal. The food will be delivered by the Nepal Food Corporation through the national distribution network of the government to the needy population living in the food deficit districts.

Mizuno said the food aid would assist the government to ease the difficulties faced by people who are facing food shortage.

“The food aid will contribute to overcome the daily difficulties of Nepali people and enable them to realise the new Nepal,” he said. Japan has been providing food aid to Nepal for the last few years, the release added.