U.S. delegation to assess aid

JAKARTA: A United States delegation will visit Indonesia beginning Tuesday to assess the country's food situation and its need for food aid, the American Embassy said on Monday.

Led by George McGovern, ambassador to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, the delegation will be in the country until Sunday for discussions with Indonesian officials and to conduct on-site visits in Jakarta and Surabaya.

The delegation includes representatives from USAID and the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service, the embassy said in a statement.

The United States contributed over US$100 million worth of food aid in 2000 to a range of humanitarian causes on behalf of the victims of the ongoing economic crisis, regional strife and natural disasters, as well as for school meal and poultry sector development programs, the embassy said.

The delegation will be in Surabaya from Thursday to Saturday for consultations and to visit donor rice and milk projects addressing the nutritional requirements of school-age children.