§ Lord McNairasked Her Majesty's Government:
By what routes and by what means British emergency food aid is being delivered to areas of food shortage in southern Sudan. [HL3798]
§ Baroness AmosBritish food aid this year has been delivered to vulnerable groups in southern Sudan by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Because of continuing insecurity a large proportion of this food has been delivered by air from bases in Lokichokkio and Nairobi in Kenya and Khartoum and E1 Obeid in northern Sudan. Food has also been delivered by barge from Kosti in northern Sudan. Limited deliveries have been possible by truck from Lokichokkio and Koboko in Uganda but roads have been in a poor state and virtually unusable during the rainy season.
Substantial food aid to southern Sudan will be required next year and we shall work with WFP to effect a greater shift from air to land delivery. This will include more truck deliveries on an improved road network, extended barge deliveries and pressure on all sides to the conflict to agree unhindered UN delivery of humanitarian relief by train.