Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) is one of the largest safety-net programmes assisted by the World Food Programme (WFP). It is targeted at poor and vulnerable women in Bangladesh. The ultimate goal of the programme is to bring sustainable improvement to the lives of ultra-poor households. Starting with assisting war, famine and flood victims in the early 1970s, the VGD programme has evolved over time to focus on helping poor women graduate out of poverty. Currently, about 750,000 women participants (about 3.75 million beneficiaries) from ultra-poor households receive a monthly food ration combined with a package of development services.