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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

21 March 2003

Fact Sheet: U.S. Prepares Food Aid Shipments to Iraq

(200,000 tons of wheat ready to go, USAID says) (450)
The Bush administration has announced the release of 200,000 tons of
food aid for the Iraqi people. Following is the U.S. Agency for
International Development fact sheet detailing the action:
(begin fact sheet)
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FACT SHEET
March 21, 2003
FOOD ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ
On March 20, 2003 the Bush Administration announced the immediate
release of 200,000 metric tons of wheat from the Bill Emerson
Humanitarian Trust, with another 400,000 tons to be made available as
needed.(1)
A portion of the wheat from the reserve will be exchanged for rice, so
that a total of 500,000 MT [metric tons] of food commodities will be
available to feed the people of Iraq.
The first shipment of 50,000 metric tons of wheat from this donation
is expected to be moving next week and is scheduled to arrive in the
Middle East within one month. The food commodities will be transported
into Iraq by the World Food Program (WFP) when the situation is
secure. Additional wheat and rice will follow over the next weeks and
months.
Prior to this announcement, the U.S. has also provided:
-- $40 million of assistance to the World Food Program for planning
and logistical support costs and some food pre-positioning. A further
$20 million has been approved and is on the way.
-- 110,000 metric tons of flour, rice, vegetable oil and beans that is
already ordered, shipped or en route to the region to assist with
refugees and displaced Iraqis.
In total, the U.S. government is providing 610,000 metric tons of food
worth $300 million as well as $60 million cash for a total
contribution of $360 million. In addition, the WFP has positioned
132,000 metric tons of food in region, which will feed 2.2 million
people per month for about four months. Taking these and other
donations into account, the international community is providing over
740,000 metric tons of food to feed the Iraqi people.
(1) The Emerson Trust is an emergency reserve administered under the
authority of the Secretary of Agriculture. It is available for
humanitarian relief in developing countries, allowing the United
States to respond to unanticipated food crises. U.S. food aid
programs, under Title II of Public Law 480, are currently fully
allocated for the fiscal year, and use of the reserve will help ensure
that sufficient commodities are available to respond to needs in Iraq
without affecting U.S. food aid commitments elsewhere in the world.
The reserve was reauthorized through 2007 by the 2002 Farm Bill.
(end fact sheet)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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