§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Overseas Development what estimate has been made of the amount of food which will be required from outside sources in the Sahel zone of West Africa during the calendar year 1975; what type of food will be required; what contribution in terms of food—not money—is likely to be made by the United Kingdom; and from what sources other food help is expected.
§ Mrs. HartInternational teams organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Office for the Sahelian32W Relief Operation are currently investigating food needs in the Sahel. Their findings will be considered by a multi-donor mission at the end of this month. My Ministry has contributed experts to the investigating teams and will be represented on the multi-donor mission, and our decisions about food aid for the Sahel in the period 1st December 1974 to 30th November 1975 will be taken when the mission reports. We and other donors, including the EEC and the USA, are in the meantime making provisional allocations of food against likely needs next year.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Overseas Development what estimate has been made by United Nations bodies of the number of people who died of starvation in the Sahel zone of West Africa during 1974; and what approximate estimate has been made of the number of persons in that area who will be at risk of starvation in 1975.
§ Mrs. Hart'In the circumstances of the Sahel it is almost impossible to arrive at any accurate estimate of actual deaths. I am not aware that any organisation has produced such an estimate for 1974. One of the tasks of the teams referred to in another reply today to my hon. Friend will be to assess the numbers likely to be at risk in 1975.