Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 24 February 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 March 2004. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 March 2004 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the amount of grain required to provide an adequate level of sustenance for those people living in famine. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the amount of grain required to provide an adequate level of sustenance for those people living in famine. [156965] Hilary Benn: DFID follows the international guidelines as set by the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation for the provision of food in emergency situations. The guidelines recommend a minimum of 2,100 Kcals per person per day. This is equivalent to approximately 600 g of grain. However, wherever possible, we seek to ensure a diet with an appropriate balance of nutrients. Rations are therefore not usually provided as grain alone, but typically consist of 400 g of grain, 50 g of corn soy blend, 25 g of oil, 60 g of pulses and 15 g of sugar per person per day. Different degrees of under-nourishment require different feeding regimes. For example, severely malnourished children are usually taken into a therapeutic feeding regime that will provide 200 Kcal per kilogramme of body weight per day. The rations are usually made up of a mixture of fortified flour, oil, sugar, vitamins and mineral complex and other local foods as appropriate.

Secondary information