WFP Warns of Angolan Ration Cuts

JOHANNESBURG, 8 February (IRIN) - The World Food Programme (WFP) requires urgent funding in order to avoid further cuts to its aid CARS in Angola, the agency's country director Rick Corsino told IRIN.

He was commenting on a serious shortfall in the agency's Protracted Relief and Recovery operation, which still needs around US $40 million during 2005 to facilitate the return and resettlement of displaced Angolan populations.

WFP has had to halve cereal rations to both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees returning to their areas of origin or resettlement.

"We have three main groups of beneficiaries. The largest one is the people who have returned to their traditional places of residence (IDPs and refugees) - that's about 850,000 people we are trying to look after through the harvest which, depending on which part of the country you talk about, comes around May," Corsino said.

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