Dhaka, July 24 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) is working with the government of Bangladesh to help more than 275,000 people affected by flooding in the country's northwest, says an official on Tuesday.

"WFP is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to assist further," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General in a regular briefing at UN headquarters in New York.

The government of Bangladesh says that more than 2 million people have been affected in nearly one-third of Bangladesh's 64 districts, he said.

An innovative project, which uses weather forecasts to trigger early actions such as cash transfers, is being used for the first time, Farhan said.

He mentioned that some 5,000 households, or 25,000...