WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/02 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Blocking by President Robert Mugabe of international food aid to some sections of the population in Zimbabwe.
Date: 2002-08-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, World Food Programme, Zimbabwe, aid policy, food aid, government violence, humanitarian aid, hunger, international aid, political situation

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/5

(2003/C 268 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/02

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(14 August 2002)

Subject: Blocking by President Robert Mugabe of international food aid to some sections of the population

in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe at present millions of people are in danger of starving to death. The expropriation of land
owned by white farmers, combined with a drought and a retail price freeze, have given rise to serious food
shortages. According to reports by the BBC and various aid organisations, President Robert Mugabe is
denying people in some regions of the country access to international food aid on the grounds that they
do not belong to his own political party.

Can the Commission confirm these reports?

If the reports are indeed accurate, what steps is the Commission taking, or what steps does it plan to take,
to bring an end to this blocking of international food aid?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2002)

The Commission is aware of the danger of partisan food distribution on the part of the Government of
Zimbabwe.

There are credible reports of extensive politicisation of the sale and distribution of the Government of
Zimbabwe’s own food supplies.

As to international food aid, the World Food Programme (WFP), through which the bulk of Community
food aid is delivered, reports that there is extensive community involvement in drawing up lists of
vulnerable groups and in distribution, so this is not a monopoly of the local authorities and chiefs.
Complaints investigated by WFP have revealed problems to be due more to a lack of information and
understanding of selection criteria than to politicisation. There have, however, been cases of non-
governmental organisation (NGO) distributions being subject to intimidation by ‘war veterans’.

The Commission has always maintained that food aid should under no circumstances be used as a political
tool and that it should be provided on the basis of humanitarian need alone, without conditionality. To
this end, the Commission is insisting that food aid operations in Zimbabwe be guided by transparent
targeting and monitoring criteria. The Commission is consulting other partners in order to reinforce
monitoring capacity in this field.

(2003/C 268 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2440/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 August 2002)

Subject: Discrimination against Kurdish northern Iraq in relation to the Baghdad regime in the

implementation of the UN oil-for-food programme

1.
Is the Commission aware that the oil-for-food programme for Iraq which is being carried out on the
basis of UN resolution no 986 of 1996 is being implemented in such a way as to adversely affect the
Kurdish part of Iraq north of the 36th parallel which is not controlled by Saddam Hussein, because so far,
of the oil which has been sold from this region, to the value of USD 7 billion, only USD 2,5 billion has
been spent on Iraqi Kurdistan, while of the medicines ordered by the Kurds, valued at USD 219 million,
only goods to the value of USD 92 million have actually arrived, because the rest of the money remains
unused in a Swiss bank account?