HC Deb 23 June 1975 vol 894 c50W
Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will make an emergency grant of aid and technical assistance to combat famine in Ethiopia.

Mr. Prentice

Not at present, but I am in close touch with our ambassador in Addis Ababa, with the United Nations Disaster Relief Office and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, as well as with the British voluntary societies, about the situation. This is in the first instance a matter for the Ethiopian authorities, to whom we made a grant of £850,000 for famine relief last year. We are continuing to help maintain the lorries which we and the voluntary societies then gave to the Ethiopian Relief and Administration Commission and we have recently provided water containers and trailers for use in the Ogaden.