HC Deb 31 January 1990 vol 166 cc187-8W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what action the Government are taking to persuade the Ethiopian Government to allow church workers to provide famine relief in Tigray;

(2) what aid the Government intend to provide to the Joint Relief Partnership of church agencies to provide famine relief in rebel-controlled areas of Ethiopia.

Mrs. Chalker

The Government very much welcome the announcement on 18 January of agreement between the Ethiopian Government's relief agency and the Joint Relief Partnership (JRP) of local church groups on arrangements for the distribution of relief supplies within Tigray. A positive response from the rebel side is vital, and we have been in touch with their representatives here to this end. The Ethiopian Government meanwhile issued a fresh appeal for food aid on 26 January, taking account of the needs of Tigray. I have approved an immediate response to this appeal of 10,000 tonnes of wheat flour (equivalent to 13,700 tonnes of wheat) to be channelled through British NGOs in support of this JRP operation. The cost of this will be about £2.6 million. I have also approved a further £1 million of emergency aid. Much of this will be used to support JRP operations in Tigray and Eritrea. This new aid is in addition to commitments totalling £18.5 million in 1989.

Forward to