Japan donates US $5.2 million in food aid

The government of Japan is to send US $5.2 million worth of food aid to Tanzania, embassy spokesman Joram Rugemalil told IRIN on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital. "We are sending an extra million dollars worth of food this year, but essentially this is part of a continuous grant that Japan has been providing since 1978," he said. The food, which will consist of unspecified shipments of rice and wheat, is part of a long-standing agreement between the two countries, the official said. Rugemalil added that the food, due to arrive early in 2004, might help ease the country's looming food shortage. Following poor rains in many regions of the country, the government and various meteorological agencies have warned Tanzania’s 33 million people to conserve water and expect food shortages later in the coming year.