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Dept for International Development

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is her policy that Iraqi money held in United Nations Accounts should be used to help cover the operational costs and administrative expenses of the new food distribution programme in Iraq; and whether she plans to cap these costs. [111700] Clare Short: It will be important to get food distribution re-established as soon as possible. 16 million Iraqis depended on the Oil for Food Programme before the conflict. We are working with the UN's Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to achieve this. On 24 April 2003, the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to extend provisions of resolution 1472 from 12 May until 3 June 2003. This enables the UN to process those existing orders under the Oil for Food (OFF) programme, which can be dispatched to Iraq by 3 June 2003. UNSCR 1472 permits use of UN escrow account funds for some operational aspects of OFF. Early indications suggest that the distribution network has, in those provinces that have been assessed, survived the conflict. It has been reported that many food agents want to resume work and have been reporting to distribution centres. The WFP and OIP, in conjunction with the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, are investigating how best to reactivate the OFF public distribution system.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

404 c737W;404 c733W; 111700

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Administration Finance Distribution Iraq Food supply United Nations Operating costs

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk