ICRC cutting food distribution in Huambo

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is scaling down its general food distribution in Angola's central highlands city of Huambo, in preference for agricultural programmes to boost food self-sufficiency, the agency told IRIN on Wednesday. Anne Zeidan, ICRC deputy head of operations for central and southern Africa, said that nutritional surveys had shown that conditions were improving in Huambo and that general food assistance would end in April. Instead, seeds and tools would be distributed to enable the local community to farm. "This break in general food distribution was planned and is not an abrupt scale down," Zeidan noted. She added that ICRC could revert to food aid after the August harvest if required.