EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/503

(2004/C 84 E/0581)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3297/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(7 November 2003)

Subject: Angola — food contingency plan

According to the media the World Food Programme (WFP), which is currently affected by the greatest global food shortage in its 40 years of existence, will be forced to adopt a contingency plan in Angola to tackle the shortage of food for the populations it is assisting, because of delays in the delivery of international donations.

The WFP's spokesman Marcelo Spina has said that the portion of food aid for each recipient has been halved, but that the crisis is not due to a lack of or reduction in international donations, but merely logistic problems encountered by the donor countries.

He also claims that the WFP has already secured more than 80 % of the resources needed for the operation.

According to the WFP there are now 2,2 million displaced persons, refugees and other beneficiaries in Angola, the highest number in the last few years.

Can the Commission say:

— whether it can confirm the existence of the WFP contingency plan and the circumstances justifying it;

— whether the European Union has taken or plans to take any additional or supplementary measures to tackle the humanitarian emergency resulting from the delay in the arrival of international donations;

— what it considers should be the main contribution the Union might make in this emergency situation;

— what explanation there is for the fact that the humanitarian situation in Angola has worsened again after having improved?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 2003)

The Commission can confirm that a World Food Programme (WFP) contingency plan exists to tackle the shortage of food for the population in Angola. The emergency situation is not, however, the result of missing contributions from international donors, but rather of delayed and damaged WFP maize shipments, as confirmed in a recent press release from this organisation. Consequently, an additional Community contribution to address this specific situation, in addition to its already substantial humanitarian assistance, is neither advisable nor foreseen. Among the Commission's activities to assist the Angolan population in its critical situation the EUR 30 million Emergency Programme to Support the Peace Process, adopted in September 2002 and currently under implementation, is of particular relevance. This programme includes emergency medical assistance, the distribution of seeds and tools, food aid to discourage consumption of the seeds and humanitarian de-mining. In addition ECHO'S humanitarian interventions will reach EUR 21 to 23 million this year, while the Food Security Budget Line provided food aid and seeds and tools worth EUR 18 million in 2003.

As Angola continues to make the transition from emergency relief to rehabilitation and development, the Commission's intervention will take a more structured approach than in the past, when responding to crises was its predominant task. With specific regard to food security, one of the focal sectors of the Community-Angola cooperation strategy, the Commission has opted for a progressive reduction of food aid in kind, because this carries strong risks of creating dependency.

Instead through its activities, it seeks to increase the production and processing of, and trade in, agricultural products, and to strengthen local associations. In addition, efforts will be made in the longer term to support the national ministries concerned and consolidate the decentralisation of decision-making.

For a number of reasons the Commission does not share the view that the humanitarian situation in Angola has deteriorated. First, an increase in the number of recipients of emergency assistance is not necessarily an indicator of a worsening humanitarian situation; the increased number rather reflects improvements in access throughout the country, following the consolidation of the peace process.

Second, as peace leads to greater security throughout the country, refugees from neighbouring countries are returning home. While this has increased the caseload, it does not indicate an aggravation of the humanitarian situation.

Third, food security is subject to regular, seasonal reductions, since Angola still suffers limited harvests and poor agricultural yields. Once the harvest has been gathered, what little food is produced is quickly consumed. Furthermore, the country's crumbling infrastructure means that with the onset of the rainy season, it becomes much more difficult to distribute food effectively. The rains and the harvest are twice-yearly events, so the resulting reduction in food security has been a regular, if wholly undesirable, phenomenon. It is best addressed through the rehabilitation of the agricultural sector, and in this the Community is actively engaged in Angola.

Nevertheless, the Commission is prepared to assist further in emergency situations, should the need arise.