Military

DATE=09/18/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=WFP/LIBERIA (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-319083

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

HEADLINE: UN World Food Program Warns Liberians Face Starvation Without Food Aid

INTRO: The United Nations World Food Program warns thousands of Liberians could face starvation, if international donors do not urgently provide six-point-six-million dollars for food relief. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports a W.F.P. official says the organization has been forced to cut food rations for lack of funds.

TEXT: The World Food Program says the situation for hundreds-of-thousands of people in Liberia is critical. W.F.P. Spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume says the agency is feeding three-quarters-of-a-million of Liberia's most vulnerable people. They include women, children, displaced people, refugees and people suffering from HIV/AIDS. She says these people are totally dependent upon international food aid for their survival.

/// BERTHIAUME ACT ///

"The situation is so bad that, this month, we have to cut by 36 percent the food rations of the displaced people and returnees, because of lack of contributions from donor countries. And, if the situation does not improve, we will have to make more cuts in October and December. And, those are really heart-breaking decisions."

/// END ACT ///

Ms. Berthiaume says, thanks to a contribution by the European Union, W.F.P. has the money to feed its beneficiaries in the month of November, but the outlook for December is very bleak.

She says, ironically, aid agencies are suffering from a shortage of money, because the peace process is going well.

While war was raging in Liberia and the country was the focus of media attention, she says, donors contributed generously. However, the international community has lost interest in Liberia since that country's former president, Charles Taylor, went into exile in Nigeria, and Liberia disappeared from the TV screens.

/// OPT /// To date, the United Nations has received less than half of the 520-million dollars governments pledged in aid for Liberia in February. Ms. Berthiaume says W.F.P. urgently needs more than six-and-one-half million dollars to feed three-quarters of a million people until the end of the year. /// END OPT /// She warns Liberia's fledgling peace process will be at risk if people do not get enough to eat.

/// 2ND BERTHIAUME ACT ///

"We know that, if we do not distribute enough food, there will be riots and instability and insecurity in the camps for displaced people. . Lack of food is always a factor of insecurity. People that do not have enough to eat and that do not have enough food for the family, are people that might resort to extremes to get what they need."

/// END ACT ///

The W.F.P. spokeswoman says this is a particularly worrying time. She says the United Nations is going to start repatriating thousands of Liberian refugees from neighboring countries on October first. Many of these people fled into exile over a decade ago and are eager to return. But, she notes they will quickly become disillusioned if there is nothing for them to eat. And, this, she warns could have a damaging impact on the peace process. (SIGNED)

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