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U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-43202001-073
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2001Contact: USAID Press Office
Washington, D.C. - Today, on World Food Day, Andrew S. Natsios, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $38.5 million in additional food aid to Afghanistan. The Title II food assistance funds come from the $320 million in humanitarian assistance announced by President Bush on October 4.
The $38.5 million will be awarded to the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) and will be used to purchase 55,000 metric tons (MT) of U.S. bulk wheat (which can be milled into flour to make bread), and 17,700 MT of other commodities such as wheat-soy blend, corn-soy blend, yellow peas (both split and whole), lentils, and vegetable oil. This will provide highly nutritious, culturally acceptable rations for vulnerable Afghans.
The United States is the largest donor of food aid to the World Food Program (WFP). In fiscal year 2001, the United States contributed more than 304,000 metric tons of food (worth more than $130 million) through WFP to vulnerable Afghans in Afghanistan and the surrounding countries.
USAID's assistance is part of an overall U.S. Government humanitarian assistance package (including the State Department, USDA and other federal agencies) for the people of Afghanistan that totals nearly $194 million for FY '01 and thus far in FY '02. Even prior to September 11th, Afghanistan was the largest recipient of USAID humanitarian assistance.
In addition to food aid, USAID provides emergency shelter for displaced persons, immunization for children, maternal care for women, seed for farmers, and programs for clean water.
The United States Agency for International Development is the U.S. government agency that has provided development and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 40 years.
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