§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports she has received regarding food supplies in Bahr el Ghazal, Southern Sudan. [95236]
§ Clare ShortLatest reports show that food supplies in Bahr el Ghazal are relatively good this year and certainly much better than in 1998. The bulk of supplies consumed in the region are from local production but a top-up of food aid continues at a rate of between 3,000 and 4,000 metric tonnes per month. Although food aid deliveries are below planning figures, the low observed rates of malnutrition confirm improvements over the last year.
The UN Annual Needs Assessment for Sudan, which is being carried out by FAO and WFP, is presently under way. We await its results with interest.