SECRETARY-GENERAL APPROVES REVISED DISTRIBUTION PLAN SUBMITTED BY GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ
Press Release
SG/SM/6836
IK/262
SECRETARY-GENERAL APPROVES REVISED DISTRIBUTION PLAN SUBMITTED BY GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ
19981211 Total Allocation for Humanitarian Programme Is $2.746 Billion With $1.056 Billion Earmarked for FoodThe following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General today wrote to the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Jassim Mohammed Buallay (Bahrain), advising that he has approved, as revised, the Distribution Plan submitted by the Government of Iraq under the terms of Security Council resolution 1210 adopted on 24 November 1998.
The distribution plan and its detailed annexes were scrutinized by the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) experts who advised that, on the basis of the limited information available, there were no prohibited items. They will keep this matter under review as more information becomes available.
The plan was submitted by the Government of Iraq on 28 November. Earlier today, the Government, through its Permanent Mission, gave its agreement to a request by the United Nations for a $150 million increase in the allocation for food.
The total allocation for the humanitarian programme is $2.746 billion with $1.056 billion earmarked for food. The Government aims to distribute a food basket providing 2150 kilocalories per person per day. The other main allocations are $240 million for medicines and medical equipment; $150 million for water and sanitation; and $409 million for electricity plus $300 million for oil spare parts.
The letter from the Secretary-General, a letter from the Executive Director of the Iraq Programme, Benon Sevan, to the Permanent Representative of Iraq and the text of the distribution plan will be released as a Security Council document. This document and the 1500 plus pages of the annexes, listing what Iraq proposes to purchase, can be found on the oil-for-food website (www.un.org/depts/oip).
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