*EPF413 03/13/2003
Text: U.S. Providing Additional $10 million to Feed African Refugees
(Contribution made in response to urgent appeal) (280)

The United States has provided an additional $10 million to the World Food Program to meet critical shortfalls in refugee feeding operations in Africa, the U.S. Department of State announced March 13.

The contribution was made in response to an urgent appeal issued by World Food Program and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on February 14.

Following is the text of the State Department announcement:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 13, 2003

MEDIA NOTE

U.S. Provides an Additional $10 Million
To Feed Refugees in Africa

The United States has provided an additional $10 million to the World Food Program to meet critical shortfalls in refugee feeding operations in Africa. This contribution was made in response to an urgent appeal issued by World Food Program and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on February 14 seeking $84 million to meet refugee food needs over the next six months. An additional $5 million is planned. We urge other donors to also respond.

The bulk of United States food aid for drought and conflict victims, including refugees, is provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development which has pledged over $280 million in food commodities to the World Food Program to date this fiscal year.

This additional $10 million was provided by the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and will benefit more than 1.5 million refugees in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Algeria. The United States expresses its appreciation to these countries for their generosity in hosting refugees.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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