DENMARK: The focus of worldwide humanitarian efforts should remain on Africa despite the current crisis in Iraq, Mr James T Morris, executive director of the UN's World Food Programme, said in Copenhagen yesterday.
Speaking after meetings with representatives of Nordic governments, Mr Morris said that the World Food Programme's main challenge was to guarantee that Africa was not forgotten.
"We estimate that we will need $2.1 billion for Africa alone in 2003. That is more than our entire worldwide budget last year," he said.
"Southern Africa, in particular, is in crisis. There is turmoil as a result of war, drought and HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV/AIDS on southern Africa is so extraordinary that without the intervention of the international community it will become a genocide."
Mr Morris disagreed that the war on terrorism had moved the spotlight away from Africa. "In this context, there is an acknowledgement of the relationship between hunger and security. There is a realisation that we have to feed people, educate them, give them potential and give them an interest in the future of their country."
In contrast to Africa, Mr Morris stressed that the situation in Iraq was not desperate, and that people were not starving. However, there are still "monumental" challenges.
"Iraq has a good distribution network, with some 44,000 outlets as a result of the Food for Oil programme which allowed the Iraqi government to import vital goods since 1991.
"The UN also distributed extra food before the outbreak of the conflict and has resumed convoys in some areas. However, the challenge is to keep the channels open and supplied so that these people do not run out of food in the coming weeks."
Mr Morris estimated that the World Food Agency's operation in Iraq would require $1.3 billion over the next six months, making it the largest single humanitarian operation ever undertaken by any agency.
He said some $300 million has already been collected, $200 of which has come from the US.