WFP chief arrives in Freetown

WFP Executive Director Catherine Bertini arrived in Freetown yesterday on a three-day assessment tour of Sierra Leone’s food security situation and seek better coordination between her agency and the government, the country’s Information Ministry said. The ministry said nearly one-third of the country was cut off from food and medical supplies and some 670,000 people were either in camps for IDPs or in other facilities in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia. The ministry said malnutrition was widespread. Bertini’s schedule to visit Kenema, a town 240 km east of Freetown, is likely to be cancelled because of rebel activity in the area. However, Bertini will meet President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Foreign Minister Sama Banya and Finance Minister James Jonah. Citing aid workers, the ministry said a large part of the country north of Kenema through the Loma and Wara Wara mountains had been cut off from food supplies and seed rice for several months.