Addis Abeba — The World Food Programme (WFP) said it has signed on Thursday a unique agreement with SDTV (Societe Djiboutienne De Gestion Du Terminal Varaquer) to enhance its handling of food commodities through the port of Djibouti.

The agreement will enable WFP to improve the handling of grain it imports to assist food vulnerable communities in Ethiopia, the UN agency said in a statement.

Accordingly, the contract, which will become effective in January 2009, will give SDTV the responsibility of handling all bulk food commodities from ship to trucks hired by WFP and which will transport to locations in Ethiopia.

SDTV had already a contract with WFP and this is just a renewal of the partnership, Mohamed Diab, WFP Representative and Country Director, was cited as having said. "We have chosen to work with the company because of its reasonable charge and the efficiency it demonstrated during the past year." SDTV, owned by Sheik Mohammed Al-Amoudi, is a stevedoring company dealing with port handling, vessel discharge and bagging of bulk grain activities at Djibouti port.

The company has handled cargo of nearly 700,000 MT of food items for WFP in 2008 through the port of Djibouti and has facilitated their delivery to central hubs within the country, it was learnet.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline agency for hunger solutions. This year, it plans to feed 90 million people in 80 countries.