§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the recent warning by the United Nations on the number of people in Angola facing starvation. [70236]
§ Clare ShortAccording to the United Nations, half a million people are facing starvation in Angola and more than a million others are completely dependent on food aid for their survival. The end of the long running civil war has increased the number of people within the reach of the humanitarian agencies by between two million and three million in a matter of months. The needy are widely scattered, with a greater range of needs than ever before.
586WWe are trying to respond as quickly and flexibly as possible. We have so far contributed £1.7 million to the 2002 United Nations appeals for Angola to ensure that critical humanitarian needs are met and to assist in the reception areas for ex UNITA fighters and their families. We await a further UN appeal, which is due later this month. We have also committed over £2 million to the ICRC and MSF, who are at the forefront of the humanitarian response