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 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶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. -------------- -------------- EMERGENCY FOOD AID DELIVERIES BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS - 1992-2002 -------------- -------------- ¶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. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶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 NNNN 2003ROME03311 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED