Rwanda: WFP appeals for six million dollars in food aid

Kigali (dpa) - The World Food Programme (WFP) Saturday made an urgent appeal for a 6.3 million dollars worth of emergency food aid for 270,000 hunger-stricken Rwandans.
''The WFP estimates that 13,200 metric tons will be needed for the next three months to assist about 270,000 people, most of whom are vulnerable people, children, women, the elderly, and the handicapped,'' a press release from WFP said.

Three consecutive years of inadequate rains in southeastern Rwanda have caused hunger in the area, WFP officials said. Poor rains in September caused seedlings to wither in the fields and forced farmers to sow their fields again.

''Although it is raining now, for most people it is a little too late,'' said the press release. ''They will not have seeds for the coming harvests.''

In November, Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza called upon the international community to help Rwanda cope with hunger in parts of the country.

WFP was said to have distributed 2,000 metric tons of food to 270,000 people since November.

In October 34 people died of hunger in Bicumbi and Gikoro of Kigali Rural prefecture, while more than 200 others reportedly died of hunger in two other communes of Bugesera, near the border with Burundi in the past six months. dpa jbk ba

AP-NY-12-23-00 0854EST

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Received by NewsEdge Insight: 12/23/2000 08:55:09