UNWF begins $90m food aid scheme for RI

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations World Food Program has started its US$90 million emergency operation to help feed 5.3 million Indonesians hardest hit by last year's severe drought and the economic crisis.

WFP country representative Philip J. Clarke said yesterday that it had received a shipment of 45,000 metric tons of Australian wheat in the first step of a major humanitarian relief operation to help the needy.

Under an agreement with the Indonesian government and Australia, WFP will exchange the wheat for 27,88 tons of rice to help pregnant women and nursing mothers, children under the age of five and families surviving on one meal a day.

"The World Food Program has returned to Indonesia to assist the victims of drought exacerbated by the economic crisis and to prevent the current food shortage from the developing into a disaster," Clarke said.

WFP closed its aid operations in 1996 when the Indonesian government was able to meet food requirements with its own resources.

The situation has changed dramatically over the past few months as drought, resulting from the El Nio weather phenomenon, caused serious crop losses. A severe economic crisis also undermined the country's ability to import rice.

Total imports of the staple are expected to reach 4.5 million tons for fiscal year 1998/1999, up from 1.5 million tons in 1996/1997.

"More than 7.5 million people are likely to experience acute household shortages during the next 12 months," the statement said.

WFP said that assistance would be provided for people who are the most seriously affected in eastern Indonesia -- including West Nusa Tenggara, Irian Jaya, a portion of Maluku province and Sulawesi, Eastern and Central Kalimantan provinces -- as well as portions of Sumatra and Central Java.

Most of the aid will be routed to 750,000 people currently surviving on one meal a day and 708,000 pregnant women, as well as nursing mothers and children under-fives.

Donors, who have so far contributed 58 percent of the WFP's food emergency program, are expected to pledge more aid in the near future.

The United States has contributed 8,700 tons of blended food and 33,000 tons of rice, Japan 40,702 tons of rice, Germany 13,047 tons of rice and Norway 6,167 tons of rice. (gis/aly)