This
site is designed for Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator versions
4 and above and a screen resolution of at least 800x600
|
|
|
UN pledges food aid
By
George Ntonya - 01-07-2002 |
|
|
The United Nations has pledged total support to Sadc countries, including Malawi, which are reeling under a food crisis.
UN Under-Secretary General and emergency relief coordinator Kenzo Oshima made the pledge in Lilongwe on Saturday at the end of a three-day visit to assess the food crisis in the country and identify strategies that would help avert famine.
Oshima described the food shortage in the country as serious and assured the government that UN agencies would do everything possible to cushion the situation.
He said that there was need for the UN agencies to enhance their capacity and strengthen coordination with the government for the effective distribution of food relief.
Oshima, who was leading a five-member delegation, added that the team would present its recommendations to Secretary General Kofi Annan who asked it to tour Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
“Following the mission, Mr. Oshima will launch a combined regional appeal at the United Nations in New York,” says a statement issued by UNDP in Lilongwe.
Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Aleke Banda thanked UN agencies and donor countries for the support they have already provided to address the problem of food shortages in the country.
He said that the government would greatly appreciate if the donor community provided the relief food as soon as possible. He also assured the donor agencies that the government would handle food donation in a transparent manner to ensure that it goes to people who need it most.
More than three million people in the country require relief food between now and the next harvest, according to the minister. |
|
|
|
|
|
