§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the provision of food aid through the Oil for Food Programme. [115412]
§ Hilary BennIt will be important to get a food distribution programme fully re-established as soon as possible. 16 million Iraqis depended on the Oil for Food Programme (OFF) before the conflict. The World Food Programme (WFP) is aiming to build up supplies similar to those provided then (480,000 tonnes of food per month) as soon as possible. We are working with the UNs Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP), WFP, the 279W Coalitions Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade to achieve this. WFP has sufficient stocks of most food commodities for June, although there are still some shortages of milk powder, salt and pulses. DFID has contributed £33 million to WFP since the start of the crisis.
The OIP has recently agreed to the use of OFF funds for the purchase of wheat and barley from this years harvest in Iraq. Buying crops locally will assist in meeting requirements projected by WFP for August and September, at the same time as injecting cash into Iraqs rural economy.
UN Security Council Resolution 1483, adopted 22 May, extended the OFF for a final six months. Responsibility for the provision of food aid after that passes to the Authority established by the Coalition.