• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

28 March 2003

U.N. Food Agency Outlines Iraq Food Aid Situation

(World Food Program Fact Sheet) (390)
The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) March 27 issued a press briefing
summary outlining the food aid situation in Iraq.
Following is the text of WFP's summary:
(begin text)
WFP Press Briefing: Amman
27 March 2003
KUWAIT AIRLIFT CONTINUES
WFP's emergency airlift of High Energy Biscuits for potential Iraqi
refugees and IDPs [internally displaced persons] continued on Thursday
as a third plane loaded with 40 metric tons of biscuits landed in
Kuwait.
Some 120 tonnes of a total HEB consignment of 160 tonnes are now
stockpiled at Kuwait -- enough to feed 159,000 people for one month.
Packed with protein and nutrients, HEBs offer an instant
protein-packed meal to people who lack cooking facilities and often
adequate supplies of clean water.
WFP will deliver emergency food aid into southern Iraq whenever and
wherever security conditions permit.
To date, the agency has no reports of extreme food shortages in the
areas of conflict in south Iraq.
WFP believes that most of the Iraqi families who are totally dependent
on monthly food aid rations for survival have sufficient food reserves
to last until the end of April.
NORTHERN GOVERNORATES: UPDATE
Erbil: food aid distributions are concentrating on areas, where local
families are looking after their displaced relatives. Most have fled
from other areas or governorates.
According to WFP monitors, some 60 percent of targeted families have
collected their monthly rations.
Half of WFP's local staff are still reporting to work, mainly at the
agency's warehouse on the outskirts of the city. But overall workload
is declining as WFP scales down distributions due to low levels of
stock.
Suleimaniyah: most displaced people who have fled to Sulaymaniyah are
staying with relatives and friends or in mosques and schools.
WFP staff have reported a rise tension, probably related to recent
bombardments in the Tawella and Byara of Halabja area.
On March 26, less than half the shops opened, although 95 percent of
local bakeries opened for business.
Prices of wheat flour, vegetables and vegetable oil have reportedly
risen 100 percent since the closure of the main road to Central Iraq.
The fuel supply line from territory controlled by the Government of
Iraq has run dry, although fuel is still getting through from Iran.
Average prices have soared by 60 percent.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)