Russian donation boosts relief efforts

Efforts to feed needy Angolans have received a boost with the arrival of 1,880 mt of maize donated by the Russian government, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday. "The donation will help alleviate the suffering of thousands of vulnerable people in the country, at a time when the needs are high and food stocks are limited," a WFP statement said. According to the latest UN appeal for Angola, UN agencies and NGOs, in close consultation with the government, aim to provide emergency assistance to more than one million vulnerable people during 2004. The maize is part of the first-ever donation from the Russian Federation to WFP and is worth US $1 million. "It is a historic donation and, most important of all, it has come at a crucial moment when WFP is struggling to ensure that the most vulnerable Angolans will receive food aid," said Oscar Sarroca, WFP's acting country director in Angola. With peace in Angola now a reality, WFP said its food aid was playing "a vital role in helping the most vulnerable sectors of the population regain their livelihoods and rebuild their communities through food-for-work schemes, such as the reconstruction of schools and destroyed infrastructure, and food-for-training projects, which provide education in agricultural techniques and HIV awareness". The agency said school feeding projects should reach up to 600,000 children by 2005. The Russian donation was equivalent to a monthly ration for more than half a million malnourished children. Part of the Russian donation will also be used to prepare meals for 362 patients suffering from tuberculosis and AIDS in a hospital in the western Benguela province. "Due to delays of other shipments to the country, WFP stocks have run low and some beneficiaries have been receiving reduced food rations over the last couple of months. However, the most vulnerable groups, such as children in nutritional centres and HIV-infected beneficiaries, are still receiving full rations," WFP explained.