US gives additional food aid for Pool IDPs

The US government has made a supplementary contribution of 1,000 mt of food aid for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Pool Region of the Republic of Congo, the US embassy announced on Wednesday in the capital, Brazzaville. The food aid, valued at US $933,000, will be channeled through the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Part of the contribution will be used to support the rehabilitation of schools and health centres damaged during a year of civil war. The improved situation in Pool followed a peace agreement signed on 17 March between the government and "Ninja" rebels of Rev Frederic Bitsangou, alias Pasteur Ntoumi, which ended a year of hostilities. Tens of thousands of people fled the region, while fighting trapped many more. The US contribution comes as WFP regional director for east and central Africa, Holdbrook Arthur, is on mission in the Congo. On 4 July, the Congolese government announced that it hoped to have all IDPs from the Pool Region returned to their homes by the end of July. A recent joint UN-NGO-government humanitarian assessment mission to Pool found that food supplies and medicines were in short supply, and that widespread rehabilitation of homes, schools and health centres was needed. The mission also called for food-for-work activities to support the restart of agriculture, rendered nearly impossible during the year-long hostilities. On 6 May, the US gave 30,500,000 francs CFA ($54,668) in support of Pool IDPs. The money was to construct 90 temporary shelters and to purchase school kits and non-food items for distribution to thousands of IDPs camped some 17 km south of Brazzaville.