Source: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Kampala, 17 April 2007 - WFP said today that a shortage of contributions has forced it to cut food rations for 1.28 million people driven into camps from their homes during a 20-year rebellion by the Lord’s Resistance Army .

WFP gives internally displaced people partial rations because they can grow some food on land near the camps to supplement what WFP gives them.

In April, WFP was forced to reduce the individual food aid package for the displaced to just 40 percent of the minimum daily energy requirement of 1,200 kilocalories because of a shortage of contributions.

In addition, WFP cut already partial rations to 182,000 mainly Sudanese refugees by 50 percent.

“WFP strongly appreciates the swift response to our March appeal from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund , the United States, Canada and Norway but unless there are additional contributions from other donors the problem for 1.28 million displaced and 182,000 refugees will persist,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

“We expect the new contributions will ease the pressure in June,” she added.

WFP will however maintain the 40 percent ration for the 1.28 million displaced in northern Uganda and reduced rations for refugees until its food supply is normalized.

WFP in Uganda: funding status

WFP has so far received US$62 million of the US$131 million it asked donors and the government to provide for relief and recovery in 2007. Donors are:

- United States: US$32 million

- Britain’s Department for International Development: US$13.7 million

- UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) : US$7 million

- Canada: US$4.3 million

- Norway: US$1.7 million

- Netherlands: US$1.2 million

- Switzerland: US$820,000

- Multilateral: US$500,000

- Turkey: US$200,000