CANADA RESPONDS TO WORLD FOOD PROGRAM EMERGENCY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000619 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA AND EEB STATE FOR USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SOCI WFP CA HA SUBJECT: CANADA RESPONDS TO WORLD FOOD PROGRAM EMERGENCY APPEAL ¶1. Summary: In response to an urgent appeal from the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP),Canada announced that it is allocating C$230 million in food aid programming, C$50 million more than last year. The package includes C$10 million in food aid for Haiti. Canada is also fully untying restrictions on food aid on where food can be purchased. The contribution won praise from the WFP. End summary. ¶2. On April 30, Minister of International Cooperation Oda announced that Canada will give C$230 million in support of food aid programming for 2008-2009, a C$50 million increase over last year. This represents a 28% increase in Canada's food aid. Canada has been the second largest donor to the WFP so far this year. Oda said that "Canada is responding to the terrible impact that rising food prices are having on the world's most vulnerable people." ¶3. Through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),Canada provides food aid primarily through the WFP and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB),Canada's primary non-governmental food aid partner which helps provide development assistance and food aid (cash, grain, other agricultural commodities) to people in need on behalf of 15 Canadian church-based agencies. Canada's food aid commitment for 2008-2009 will be distributed during the year on specific needs assessments made by the WFP and the CFGB. The C$230 million contribution includes C$5 million to the CFGB for purchasing and distributing food to help those most in greatest need around the world. In response to the current acute food shortage in Haiti, the package also contains a special C$10 million contribution to that country through the WFP that will provide food for over 350,000 Haitians, primarily pregnant women and children under five years old. ¶4. In addition, Canada is maximizing the effectiveness of its contribution by untying restrictions on food aid. This will provide the WFP and the CFGB with flexibility to procure food commodities from all countries - especially developing countries. By removing such restrictions, Canada will promote the growth of local and regional markets in developing countries. "This generous contribution by Canada will help protect millions of children from severe malnutrition and hunger," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS