§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current need of the population of Sudan for international provision of basic foodstuffs for survival listed by area and broken down to show(a) Government-held (b) non-Government-held areas, and indicating if the delivery of such aid should be (i) via Khartoum, (ii) via east Africa or (iii) otherwise. [4659]
§ Dr. Liam FoxIn northern Sudan, serious food shortages have been reported this year in Darfur and Kordofan. The UK has provided £1.5 million to the Save the Children Fund and CARE UK for food aid, purchased within Sudan, to address needs in those areas. There are also reports of food shortages in Red Sea state. In southern Sudan, the World Food Programme predicts serious deficits over the next few months in Juba, Gogrial and parts of Jonglei state including Pochalla and Pibor.
The World Food Programme report that food for outstanding deficit areas in Government and non-Government held areas may be available for purchase within Sudan. They have not yet established the requirement for external provision of food aid. Precise delivery arrangements will depend on the source of food aid and the relative costs of delivery options.