DAR ES SALAAM, 23 April (IRIN) -
The government of Japan is to send US $5.2 million worth of food aid to
Tanzania, embassy spokesman Joram Rugemalil told IRIN on Tuesday in Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial capital.
"We are sending an extra million
dollars worth of food this year, but essentially this is part of a continuous
grant that Japan has been providing since 1978," he said.
The food, which will consist of unspecified shipments of rice and wheat, is part of a long-standing agreement between the two countries, the official said.
Rugemalil added that the food, due to arrive early in 2004, might help ease the country's looming food shortage. Following poor rains in many regions of the country, the government and various meteorological agencies have warned Tanzania's 33 million people to conserve water and expect food shortages later in the coming year.
[ENDS]
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