§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his sources of information on famine in Ethiopia; how often this information is updated; and what procedures are in place to consider and respond to developments as they arise.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe receive continuing information from a variety of sources: in particular the emergency planning and preparedness system which we have helped the United Nations to establish in Ethiopia, our embassy in Addis Ababa, British non-governmental organisations and international agencies such as the United Nations world food programme. Information is also provided by the Ethiopian Government and the relief organisations of the Eritrean and Tigrean rebel movements.
Regular co-ordination with other donors, both in Addis Ababa and elsewhere, and close liaison with British NGOs help us in our assessments of our data. Within ODA the interdepartmental co-ordinating arrangements are such as to enable us to respond speedily and effectively with both food aid and other emergency relief to the threat of famine.