US embassy cable - 03ROME3311

UNCLAS ROME 003311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
    STATE FOR AS/PRM, PRM/P, EUR/WE, EUR/NE AND IO/EDA 
USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, PPC/DP, 
PPC/DC 
USDA/FAS FOR CHAMBLISS/TILSWORTH/GAINOR 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
USUN FOR MLUTZ 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
OMB FOR TSTOLL 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, AORC, PREF, KUNR, WFP, UN 
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2002 EMERGENCY FOOD AID FLOWS 
 
REF:  A) ROME 2716 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. WFP"S GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES REPORT "2002 FOOD AID 
FLOWS, MAY 2003" CLEARLY REVEALS THAT THE UNITED STATES, 
WHICH PROVIDED 64 PERCENT OF ALL GLOBAL FOOD AID AND 50 
PERCENT OF ALL EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE THIS PAST YEAR, IS 
BY FAR THE WORLD'S LEADER IN RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES. THE 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S EMERGENCY GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES 
DECREASED FROM 653,778 METRIC TONS IN 2001 TO 365,039 MTS IN 
2002. THESE NUMBERS ARE PART OF A CONSISTENTLY DECLINING EC 
EMERGENCY FOOD AID DELIVERY RESPONSE OVER THE PAST DECADE. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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EMERGENCY FOOD AID DELIVERIES BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS - 1992-2002 
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2. US MISSION HAS OBTAINED FROM WFP (INTERFAIS) THE 
FOLLOWING RACK UP OF EC FOOD AID DELIVERIES IN SUPPORT OF 
EMERGENCIES OVER THE PAST DECADE 1992-2002, AS FOLLOWS: 
 
1992, 1.48 MILLION METRIC TONS (MMTS); 1993, 1.13 MMTS; 
1994, 1.09 MMTS; 1995, 0.598 MMTS; 1996, 0.470 MMTS; 1997, 
0.698 MMTS; 1998, 0.505 MMTS; 1999, 0.702 MMTS; 2000, 0.694 
MMTS; 2001, 0.654 MMTS; 2002, 0.365 MMTS. 
 
3. FIRST, THERE IS A CLEARLY DECLINING TREND IN EC-PROVIDED 
GLOBAL EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE. SECONDLY, THE DECLINE IS 
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NUMBER OR LEVEL OF DISASTERS, CALAMITIES 
AND/OR SIZE OF THE ANNUAL UN CONSOLIDATED APPEALS. 
 
4. NOTE: GLOBAL FOOD AID DELIVERIES FOR EMERGENCIES WERE 5.4 
MILLION METRIC TONS IN 2000; 5.5 MMTS IN 2001; AND 4.7 MMTS 
IN 2002. U.S. FOOD AID DELIVERIES FOR EMERGENCIES ARE LISTED 
BY WFP'S INTERFAIS AS 2.8 MILLION METRIC TONS IN 2000; 2.7 
MMTS IN 2001; AND 2.35 MMTS IN 2002. END NOTE. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. THE G8 ACTION PLAN AGAINST FAMINE, ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA 
(JUNE 03, 2003) OBSERVES THAT "MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLD-WIDE 
    ARE AT RISK OF STARVATION, OF WHICH OVER 40 MILLION ARE IN 
AFRICA." THERE IS A CLEAR AND URGENT CALL IN THE DOCUMENT TO 
MEET EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE NEEDS. AS CAREFULLY RECORDED 
BY WFP'S INTERFAIS, THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND, 
WHILE COGNIZANT OF THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY, 
TIMELINESS OF FOOD AID, CASH AND ITEMS OTHER THAN FOOD IN 
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS - VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AT RISK OF 
STARVATION IN 2003 CAN'T EAT RHETORIC. HALL 
 
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	2003ROME03311 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED