HC Deb 16 December 2002 vol 396 cc558-9W
Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the size of the land plots allocated to families in(a) Ethiopia, (b) Malawi and (c) Burundi. [87075]

Clare Short

Ethiopia underwent a major land redistribution campaign in 1975. Land was then taken into state ownership and limited rights of access were given to peasants who farmed it. Since then, increasing population has decreased the size of the individual farm holdings. DFID-funded research that was carried out in 2002 found that the average plot size was 1.41 Ha per household. In a recent comparative study of five African countries (funded by USAID) the equivalent figure quoted for Malawi was 0.99 Ha per household (National Economic Council, Malawi, 2000).

We do not have a recent assessment of the average plot size for Burundi. However, caution should be used about drawing any direct links between plot size and production.

Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the causes of the famine in(a) Southern Africa and (b) Ethiopia. [87076]

Clare Short

The problem in southern Africa is one of declining access to food. Poor people are becoming more and more vulnerable to food shortage, a s successive harvest failures have eroded their savings and other assets and hence their ability to cope. HIV/AIDS and other disease burdens are compounding this problem. Inappropriate policies, serious governmance failures and a shortage of foreign exchange have contributed to a failure to come to grips with the poverty which lies at the root of this vulnerability. There have also been poor information flows and planning in relation to the short-term response to the humanitarian crisis.

The problem of vulnerability is also extreme in Ethiopia—one of the poorest countries in the world ranking 168 out of 173 on the Human Development Index. Vast numbers of households lack the savings or other assets to cope with even minor shocks, let alone the significant reduction in harvest caused by rain failure in 2002. Government has rural development policies in place but capacity constraints are limiting impact. The systems for short-term response to humanitarian crises are relatively well-developed and function adequately.

Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role the early warning systems played in her Department's response to the famine in Ethiopia. [87085]

Clare Short

The early warning system (EWS) in Ethiopia is a combined Government of Ethiopia, UN and NGO initiative. This EWS is well developed and has played an important role in forecasting the likely humanitarian developments. We pay close attention to the information being provided from all sources to help ensure we respond in good time to help address the most urgent needs.

Mrs. Spelman

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid her Department is giving to(a) Eritrea and (b) Sudan to cope with their famine. [87086]

Clare Short

We have given £1.35 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2002 Appeal for(a) Eritrea, and stand ready to provide more support in response to need. Officials from my Department plan to visit Eritrea early in the new year. Support this year to (b) Sudan to address basic humanitarian needs, including those as a result of food shortages, consists of £2 million to the ICRC and a further £5 million through international non-government organisations and other agencies.