WFP clarifies

COLOMBO: With reference to the Daily News lead story "Call for more positive role from INGOs" on Tuesday , September 12, the UN in Colombo has sent us the following clarification.

"Your report states that World Food Programme (WFP) is running out of food. This is not accurate. For the current IDP crisis, WFP is using food from its relief and recovery operation in conflict and tsunami affected areas. There is food in Colombo and in most of the districts where WFP has access. WFP food supplies for operations in both Jaffna and the Vanni are running low and at present there is practically no access to these two areas.

Secondly you say WFP has received US $ 350 Million. This is not true. WFP's current 3-year PRRO (Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation) (2005-2007) is for 102,000 metric tons of food at a value US $ 47 Million. There is a contingency plan in the PRRO for feeding IDPs, but it is only 3,500 tons of food - which could feed only 70,000 IDPs for 3 months.

That is why the WFP put the food requirements in the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for the next four months. This was launched on the 30 August in Geneva and Sri Lankan media reported it. Two scenarios were envisaged and they are nowhere near the amount of US$ 350 million your reporter stated. They are either 200,000 IDPs or 400,000 IDPs amounting to US $ 6.4 Million or US $ 12.8 Million for the food sector.

No new contributions by WFP have been received as a result of this latest IDP crisis. The WFP is using (and diverting) food that arrived earlier this year and was intended for Food for Work rehabilitation activities, as well as Nutrition interventions, and School Feeding programmes, mainly in the North and East and in tsunami areas."