§ 84. Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consideration has been given to the appeal by United Nations agencies for emergency aid for Ethiopia; and what response has been made.
§ Mr. Chris PattenAs I have already informed the House, we are providing £2 million in response to the United Nations disaster relief co-ordinator's request for assistance with an emergency food airlift in Ethiopia.
I have also now decided to provide £600,000 to the United Nations Children's Fund Ethiopia appeal.
§ Mr. BarronI congratulate the Minister on responding to the United Nations Children's Fund. On 30 November I asked him to do so and he said he would consider the matter. He has taken a long time. Is he satisfied that the grant is enough, given the difficult position of children in Ethiopia?
§ Mr. PattenI thought that it was important to see the position in Ethiopia for myself, which I have now done twice, the second time briefly. Our contribution to the UNICEF appeal is the joint third equal of other national donors. The hon. Gentleman should recognise that that contribution should be added to the £35 million that we have made available so far for humanitarian assistance with the consequences of the present drought.