EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2002 EMERGENCY FOOD AID FLOWS

UNCLAS ROME 003311

SIPDIS


AIDAC

FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME

STATE FOR AS/PRM, PRM/P, EUR/WE, EUR/NE AND IO/EDA
USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, PPC/DP,
PPC/DC
USDA/FAS FOR CHAMBLISS/TILSWORTH/GAINOR
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
USUN FOR MLUTZ
NSC FOR JDWORKEN
OMB FOR TSTOLL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF KUNR WFP UN
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2002 EMERGENCY FOOD AID FLOWS

REF: A) ROME 2716

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SUMMARY
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1. WFP"S GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES REPORT "2002 FOOD AID
FLOWS, MAY 2003" CLEARLY REVEALS THAT THE UNITED STATES,
WHICH PROVIDED 64 PERCENT OF ALL GLOBAL FOOD AID AND 50
PERCENT OF ALL EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE THIS PAST YEAR, IS
BY FAR THE WORLD'S LEADER IN RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES. THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S EMERGENCY GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES
DECREASED FROM 653,778 METRIC TONS IN 2001 TO 365,039 MTS IN

2002. THESE NUMBERS ARE PART OF A CONSISTENTLY DECLINING EC
EMERGENCY FOOD AID DELIVERY RESPONSE OVER THE PAST DECADE.
END SUMMARY.

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EMERGENCY FOOD AID DELIVERIES BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS - 1992-2002
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2. US MISSION HAS OBTAINED FROM WFP (INTERFAIS) THE
FOLLOWING RACK UP OF EC FOOD AID DELIVERIES IN SUPPORT OF
EMERGENCIES OVER THE PAST DECADE 1992-2002, AS FOLLOWS:

1992, 1.48 MILLION METRIC TONS (MMTS); 1993, 1.13 MMTS;
1994, 1.09 MMTS; 1995, 0.598 MMTS; 1996, 0.470 MMTS; 1997,
0.698 MMTS; 1998, 0.505 MMTS; 1999, 0.702 MMTS; 2000, 0.694
MMTS; 2001, 0.654 MMTS; 2002, 0.365 MMTS.


3. FIRST, THERE IS A CLEARLY DECLINING TREND IN EC-PROVIDED
GLOBAL EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE. SECONDLY, THE DECLINE IS
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NUMBER OR LEVEL OF DISASTERS, CALAMITIES
AND/OR SIZE OF THE ANNUAL UN CONSOLIDATED APPEALS.


4. NOTE: GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES FOR EMERGENCIES WERE 5.4
MILLION METRIC TONS IN 2000; 5.5 MMTS IN 2001; AND 4.7 MMTS
IN 2002. U.S. FOOD AID DELIVERIES FOR EMERGENCIES ARE LISTED
BY WFP'S INTERFAIS AS 2.8 MILLION METRIC TONS IN 2000; 2.7
MMTS IN 2001; AND 2.35 MMTS IN 2002. END NOTE.

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COMMENT
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5. THE G8 ACTION PLAN AGAINST FAMINE, ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA
(JUNE 03, 2003) OBSERVES THAT "MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLD-WIDE
ARE AT RISK OF STARVATION, OF WHICH OVER 40 MILLION ARE IN
AFRICA." THERE IS A CLEAR AND URGENT CALL IN THE DOCUMENT TO
MEET EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE NEEDS. AS CAREFULLY RECORDED
BY WFP'S INTERFAIS, THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND,
WHILE COGNIZANT OF THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY,
TIMELINESS OF FOOD AID, CASH AND ITEMS OTHER THAN FOOD IN
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS - VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AT RISK OF
STARVATION IN 2003 CAN'T EAT RHETORIC. HALL

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2003ROME03311 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED