HC Deb 04 November 2002 vol 392 cc39-40W
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the(a) estimated number of people reliant on food aid and (b) estimated amount of food aid required by the World Food Programme is over the next six months for (i) Mauritania, (ii) Mali, (iii) Senegal, (iv) Eritrea and (v) Ethiopia. [77610]

Clare Short

The information is as follows:

  1. (i) Mauritania: (a) The World Food Programme (WFP) has estimated that up to 750,000 people are affected by food shortages. The FAO have just completed an assessment of the situation and more accurate figures should be available soon. (b) The WFP Emergency Operation, launched in April, aims to provide 16,231 tonnes of food aid, benefiting 246,500 people until the end of December 2002.
  2. (ii) Mali: (a) No humanitarian crisis or large scale food shortages are currently reported.
  3. (b) The WFP is providing 3,765 tonnes of food aid until June 2003 in support of rehabilitation activities for 305,000 people affected by the armed conflict of 1990–95.
  4. (iii) Senegal: (a) No humanitarian crisis or large scale food shortages are currently reported. (b) The WFP is providing 1,650 tonnes of food aid, benefiting 76,000 people over 18 months until December 2003, in support of populations affected by conflict.
  5. (iv) Eritrea: (a) According to recent WFP/FAO assessments, approximately 1.04 million of the most vulnerable people in Eritrea will (b) require 140, 000 tonnes of food aid in 2003.
  6. (v) Ethiopia: (a) The UN estimates that upwards of six million people require food assistance at present. (b) WFP assess unmet food aid needs for the remainder of this year at approximately 70,000 tonnes and a further 263,000 tonnes for the first three months of next year.