Food shipments to Iraq - back on track soon (2 months)

DeviousJ · 04-01-2003, 08:16 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It could take up to two months before international food shipments to Iraq, overseen by a U.N. program that was interrupted by war, will resume, according to a senior Bush administration official on Tuesday.

Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted to free billions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenues to buy food and medicine for Iraq's 26 million people.

When asked when food deliveries under the oil-for-food program would resume, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Andrew Natsios, told Reuters: "One month from now. Maybe two months."

International relief workers fear a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Iraq because of the U.S.- and British-led war that started on March 20. In the run-up to the war, Natsios said Washington would seek quick resumption of the U.N. oil-for-food program to avert such a crisis.

But on Tuesday, Natsios acknowledged that even his own estimates may have been overly optimistic.

After the war started, "We realized it would take much longer than we had originally planned" to switch the contracts, contact merchants and shippers involved and get U.N. Security Council approval, Natsios said.

Natsios made his remarks after testifying to a House of Representatives panel reviewing food relief efforts in Africa.

The UN's oil-for-food program had been delivering about $2.6 billion worth of food rations to Iraqis each year. But just before the attack on Iraq the program was suspended because of the difficulties in shipping commodities.

While the U.N. oversees the food-delivery program, the Iraqi government held contracts for purchasing food, using revenues earned from oil sales. Those contracts now have to be rewritten to erase Saddam Hussein's government from the transactions. "It will be as much as a month before all the contracts are shifted," Natsios said.

In the meantime, the United States has ordered the release of up to 600,000 tons of wheat from a government-owned reserve to facilitate the shipment of emergency wheat and rice to Iraq.

The Bush administration also has asked Congress to quickly approve $320 million in new money to help buy food, such as vegetable oils and beans, to donate to Iraqi citizens.

:erm

jared · 04-01-2003, 08:31 PM

we still have to turn the water back on too

hupette gros · 04-01-2003, 10:19 PM

fucking bad news

04-01-2003, 08:16 PM	#1
DeviousJ CORNFROST Location: GUREITO DESU YO Posts: 24,891	Food shipments to Iraq - back on track soon (2 months) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It could take up to two months before international food shipments to Iraq, overseen by a U.N. program that was interrupted by war, will resume, according to a senior Bush administration official on Tuesday. Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted to free billions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenues to buy food and medicine for Iraq's 26 million people. When asked when food deliveries under the oil-for-food program would resume, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Andrew Natsios, told Reuters: "One month from now. Maybe two months." International relief workers fear a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Iraq because of the U.S.- and British-led war that started on March 20. In the run-up to the war, Natsios said Washington would seek quick resumption of the U.N. oil-for-food program to avert such a crisis. But on Tuesday, Natsios acknowledged that even his own estimates may have been overly optimistic. After the war started, "We realized it would take much longer than we had originally planned" to switch the contracts, contact merchants and shippers involved and get U.N. Security Council approval, Natsios said. Natsios made his remarks after testifying to a House of Representatives panel reviewing food relief efforts in Africa. The UN's oil-for-food program had been delivering about $2.6 billion worth of food rations to Iraqis each year. But just before the attack on Iraq the program was suspended because of the difficulties in shipping commodities. While the U.N. oversees the food-delivery program, the Iraqi government held contracts for purchasing food, using revenues earned from oil sales. Those contracts now have to be rewritten to erase Saddam Hussein's government from the transactions. "It will be as much as a month before all the contracts are shifted," Natsios said. In the meantime, the United States has ordered the release of up to 600,000 tons of wheat from a government-owned reserve to facilitate the shipment of emergency wheat and rice to Iraq. The Bush administration also has asked Congress to quickly approve $320 million in new money to help buy food, such as vegetable oils and beans, to donate to Iraqi citizens. :erm

04-01-2003, 08:31 PM	#2
jared Apocalyptic Poster Location: sacramento, ca, usa Posts: 2,193	we still have to turn the water back on too

04-01-2003, 10:19 PM	#3
hupette gros Pledge Location: canada Posts: 245	fucking bad news