WFP STEPS UP DELIVERY OF READY TO EAT MEALS TO KOSOVAR REFUGEES IN FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Press Release
WFP/1048
WFP STEPS UP DELIVERY OF READY TO EAT MEALS TO KOSOVAR REFUGEES IN FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
19990408 ROME, 8 April (WFP) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said it has stepped up delivery of emergency food rations to The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to prevent feared shortages.Last night, a United States-funded 747 cargo plane delivered 83,000 humanitarian daily rations (HDRs) into the country's capital of Skopje from Paris. Two more 747 aircraft are planned to airlift another 166,000 HDRs into Skopje Friday.
A United Kingdom-funded Ilushyin 76 is scheduled today to deliver 76,000 rations of canned fish, and two tons of high protein biscuits, enough to feed 10,000 people a day, into Skopje from Bergen, Norway. This consignment is part of a Norwegian donation of 200 metric tons of canned fish and 200 metric tons of high energy biscuits.
"There is a desperate need for humanitarian daily rations and other foods that do not require cooking facilities", said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Special Representative to The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "Ready to eat rations are extremely important and are needed to bridge the time gap between the arrival of the refugees and the establishment of camps with cooking facilities."
The air bridge between Ancona, Italy, and Tirana, Albania, has also been stepped up. In the last 48 hours, United States air force cargo planes have delivered a total of 160,000 daily rations into Tirana from Ancona.
The HRDs are part of the United States donation through WFP of 1.1 million daily rations, 600,000 rations for the refugees in The former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia and 500,000 for those in Albania. The rations are being airlifted from the United States into Europe.
With the help of other donor governments, WFP is organizing further airlifts. A Canadian funded C-130 will shortly begin to airlift canned fish from Canada to Tirana and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Canada has donated 250 metric tons of canned fish, enough for 500,000 rations. The WFP is coordinating the delivery and distribution of all food to the refugees in Albania and in The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The emergency
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rations being airlifted are, on arrival, immediately loaded on trucks and helicopters for delivery and distribution to the refugees.
The Programme is also supplying wheat-flour to commercial bakeries in Tirana, Durres and Kukes and in turn they produce bread for the refugees. The combined production of loaves per day is 27,000 with each weighing 1.2 kilograms. Similar arrangements are being finalized for The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The WFP has appealed for mobile bakeries to help increase the production capacity.
Truck deliveries of wheat flour and other supplies have also been increased. Some 500 metric tons of wheat flour from Turkey will arrive in Skopje Friday and another 500 metric tons will arrive Saturday. The wheat flour is urgently needed to extend the WFP organized bread-making programme. In the next two days 1,000 metric tons of wheat flour will arrive in Durres from Italy.
In Albania, 80 per cent of the refugees are receiving rations and 100 per cent at least something.
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