§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the target, in tonnes, of the delivery of food to Afghanistan; by what means the food is being delivered; and what obstacles have to be overcome to increase the supply of food to Afghanistan. [10795]
§ Hilary BennThe World Food Programme's monthly target for food delivery into Afghanistan is 52,000 metric tonnes. WFP is trucking food to Afghanistan by land routes from neighbouring countries. It continues to make progress on increasing the supply of food to Afghanistan, but obstacles do remain.
In addition to the physical challenges of distributing food to distant villages on poor roads, obstacles include: a lack of hauliers willing to undertake the work; local NGO staff unable to show up for work to oversee secondary distribution; limited communication with local staff; and the fact that case load lists are becoming outdated due to further population displacement. The fear of harassment and looting of supplies by some elements of the Taliban is further compounding an already difficult situation.
We are doing all we can to support WFP in overcoming these obstacles, so that food delivery can continue to increase now and over the winter. WFP is looking into all options for delivering food, including opening up new land routes from the north, as well as air operations, to support the people of Afghanistan in the coming weeks and months. We have already allocated £3 million to WFP for its response to the Afghan crisis.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the dietary content is of the foodstuff being delivered to Afghanistan; and who assesses it. [10793]
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§ Hilary BennThe food being dispatched to Afghanistan by the World Food Programme (WFP) to feed vulnerable people is primarily made up of wheat and wheat flour. This is being supplemented in some areas by other foodstuffs provided by local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as pulses, oils, and fresh foods where available. Individual agencies are responsible for assessing the dietary content of the food that they dispatch. Availability of food stocks and logistical constraints play a large part in determining what they are able to deliver.
§ Mr. SwireTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. [8821]
§ Tony BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on humanitarian relief to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the surrounding regions. [9981]
§ Hilary BennI refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development to the House on 24 October 2001,Official Report column 283.