Sudan (Hansard, 14 March 1988)

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many vehicles are currently undertaking relief work in the Sudan, provided under the United Kingdom aid programme.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
In 1987 the ODA provided 20 trucks for the combined agencies relief team (CART) at a cost of £400,000. These vehicles are enabling CART to distribute food in and around Juba.
In January this year the Sudanese army commandeered 15 of the CART trucks, 14 of which have now been returned. We are awaiting further information on the last truck.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work is being undertaken to ensure that food supplies are reaching southern Sudan.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
Donors are working with the Government of Sudan to identify ways of providing relief supplies to the whole of southern Sudan. The ODA responded to a world food programme appeal for 1,400 tonnes of food aid to be airlifted into Juba by providing 400 tonnes, with associated transport costs; the European Community provided a further 600 tonnes. This food is being distributed by ODA-funded trucks. In February, a military-escorted convoy of barges organised by the Sudanese Government delivered 2,600 tonnes of relief aid428W to Malakal for the Upper Nile region. Of this the ODA financed 450 tonnes through the Catholic fund for overseas development. The International Committee of the Red Cross is now waiting to receive the agreement of the Sudanese Government and the rebel forces to begin relief work in areas of southern Sudan previously inaccessible because of civil war.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances have been received that the vehicles for moving food supplies in the Sudan will not be used for other purposes by the Sudan Government.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
On 27 February the Prime Minister of Sudan, Sadiq el Mandi, informed our ambassador in Khartoum that the commandeering of vehicles provided by the ODA had been due to a breakdown in communication. I have accepted assurances that this will not happen again. These trucks are once more being used to distribute food supplies around the Juba area.