Written question asked by Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party) on Thursday, 20 March 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 March 2008. It was answered by Shahid Malik (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 April 2008 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Moldova: Food

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the food security situation in Moldova; what assistance his Department has (a) offered and (b) provided to (i) the government and (ii) the population of Moldova to alleviate the impact of another possible drought; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: During 2007 Moldova was affected by a serious drought that reduced crop production across an estimated 84 per cent. of arable land. The Government of Moldova requested assistance from the United Kingdom and other donors. The Department for International Development (DFID) contacted the European Commission (EC) who confirmed that they were responding by providing €4 million of Food Security Programme budget support and releasing €20 million of macro-economic support funds to enable the Government of Moldova to respond to the impact of the drought. The EC also provided €3 million in direct humanitarian aid. Other donors also provided assistance.The UK Government are continuing to support the Moldovan Government with longer-term reforms aimed at strengthening the economy of the country and its resilience to future shocks through its small bilateral programme (£4 million pa). This includes a £3 million contribution to the World Bank Poverty Reduction Support Credit, one aim of which is to strengthen the agriculture sector and consequently food security. The EC is also discussing with the Government of Moldova support to agriculture sector reform in its 2008 programme.

Secondary information