More than half of Eritrea’s people will need food aid in 2005: UN

ASMARA, Nov 24 (AFP) — Some 2.2 million Eritreans of a total population of 3.8 million will need humanitarian aid in 2005, the United Nations said here Tuesday during the launch of an international appeal for 157 million dollars.

Residents of the Adi Keshi Internally Displaced Persons camp in western Eritrea receive food aid. (AFP).

“For Eritrea, in 2005, we will need more than 200,000 metric tons of food aid,” said the World Food Programme’s (WFP) director in Eritrea, Jean-Pierre Cebron.

This Horn of Africa state is once again in the throes of drought and is still suffering from the consequences of a 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia.

“If we do not receive an early and adequate response to our appeal, it will be difficult to address the priority areas,” warned the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Eritrea, Musa Bugundu.

“We hope to cover, by the end of the year, over 70 percent of the needs identified by the 2004 appeal (147 million dollars),” he said.

Fuel rationing in Eritrea, begun in October, is also a matter of concern because it hampers distribution efforts.

One UN official, who asked not to be named, said: “Because of the rationing we are worried for the transport of humanitarian aid and the access of our employees to the beneficiaries.

“The Eritrean government assures us that we will have priority access to fuel. But we won’t be able to work like this for a year, having to send a letter each time we need fuel,” he warned.