Aid agency praises Swiss response to Iraq crisis
The head of the World Food Programme, James Morris, has highlighted Switzerland's key role in planning humanitarian aid for Iraq.
He was speaking after meeting the Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, to discuss the challenges of providing food aid to Iraqis in the event of war.
The WFP has stockpiled food provisions in neighbouring countries in preparation for a possible United States-led invasion of Iraq.
It plans to supply both refugees fleeing the country and Iraqi civilians who choose to remain.
Morris told swissinfo that Switzerland had played a key role in planning humanitarian aid for Iraq.
He singled out last month’s international humanitarian conference in Geneva – organised by the Swiss foreign ministry – for bringing key issues to the forefront.
“Switzerland has already done something very important,” he said. “[The conference] caused people around the world to begin to focus on the civilian and humanitarian issues.”
More aid
But Morris warned that it was impossible to predict the scale of any food crisis and he called on Switzerland and other donors to continue giving their support.
Switzerland is one of the WFP’s top 15 donors, making an average yearly contribution of SFr30-35 million ($22-26 million). The Swiss also participate in the agency’s executive board meetings as an observer.
But should war break out in Iraq, the WFP says it will be relying even more on aid from countries such as Switzerland. It has even requested Swiss personnel to help distribute food.
Potential crisis
According to the WFP, the Iraqi people are particularly at risk from food shortages if war breaks out, as they are heavily reliant on aid.
Morris estimates that about 60 per cent of Iraqis are already dependent on food aid through the Oil-for-Food programme, which was set up by the United Nations to counter the effect of sanctions in the wake of the Gulf War.
To date, some $43 billion worth of supplies have been sent to Iraq.
To enable a quick response, the WFP has agreed deals with some of Iraq’s neighbours to store food near the border. It has also arranged to access neighbouring countries’ own food supplies should its own reserves run out.
Morris said systems were already in place in Iraq for food distribution.
“We’ll try to find ways to move food into the country using their traditional systems of distribution,” he said. “Hopefully the Oil-for-Food programme will stay in place, and the normal transport that provides food for that will be available.”
swissinfo, Isobel Johnson and Joanne Shields
The World Food Programme has already stockpiled food supplies near the Iraqi border in neighbouring countries.
About 60 per cent of Iraqis already rely on food aid from overseas.
Switzerland is one of the top 15 donors to the World Food Programme, with an average yearly contribution of SFr 30 to 35 million.
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