§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received from Her Majesty's ambassador in Addis Ababa about the number of deaths from famine, or disease related to famine, in Ethiopia during the month of November; and what progress has been made in alleviating the situation since the international relief effort began to take effect over recent weeks.
Item Cost £ million
Status 1. Landrover spare parts, two new engines and 500 tyres for Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC).
0.10 Tyres being shipped December. All other items dispatched by air 16 November.
2. Ten new landrovers for RRC. 0.09 Shipped 24 November. 3. Two mobile workshops with full complement of equipment and tools for RRC. 0.05 Air freighted 17 November. 4. Ten dumper trucks and spares for Assab Port. 0.35 Ordered. Depart mid-January 1985 by sea. 5. Two grain conveyors and spares for two existing conveyors for Assab Port. 0.05 Conveyors and spares ordered: depart mid-January 1985 by sea. 2,000 needles for grain bagging machines for Assab Port. 1,500 needles by Air Mail on 25 November, 500 to follow late-December. 6. Airfreight costs for International Committee of the Red Cross. 0.45 Awaiting ICRC request. 7. Six landrovers for Embassy (1) and British voluntary agencies, and freight costs. 0.15 Four sent by air early November; Two to go by sea in December. 8. Drilling rigs for Ethiopian Water Commission (EWWCA), back-up truck and equipment, drilling technician. 0.36 One rig, with truck and equipment, to be shipped mid-January1985. One awaiting technical advice. 9. Five 30-tonne trucks for Catholic Fund for Overseas Development.
0.25 Ordered. Depart early December by sea. 10. Seeds and tools for OXFAM. 0.10 Oxfam authorised to purchase locally. 11. Airfreighting of various equipment for Disasters Emergency Committee. 0.10 Completed 2 November. 12. Food monitors, mechanics and other manpower (provisional). 0.20 Recruitment in hand. 13. Internal transport for British food aid. 0.75 Expenditure will begin when food arrives. 14. Tents for League of Red Cross societies. 0.09 Supplied 3 November. 15. Airfreight of blankets, polythene sheets etc. for Red Cross. 0.05 Sent 17 November. 16. 500 tarpaulins for covering grain trucks, 50 kilometres of cable and rope, and tarpaulin repair kits. 0.15 Estimated dispatch date: early January 1985. 17. Shipment of 3,000 tonnes of grain. 0.21 Estimated for dispatch at end of December. 3.50