14 th May , 2008…

The Deputy Director of the World Food Programme, Miguel Barreto, thanked the government and people of Egypt on behalf of the programme for the assistance provided by the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa to Ethiopia. Barreto told the Egyptian Ambassador to Ethiopia that this assistance largely contributes to helping the Ethiopian people, particularly women and children suffering from AIDS. The Deputy Director added that this confirms that Egypt is a fundamental partner to the World Food Programme and supports its activities in Africa.

Secretary General of the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa, Ambassador Neveen Ashmawy, stated within this framework, that Egypt's support for international organisations which provide food to Africa, comes within the framework of the realisation of the Egyptian policy that thousands of people die in Africa because of food shortage or the disruption of food supplies due to natural disasters and armed conflicts. Those who survive, suffer a decline in their mental and physical capabilities which affects their productive capacities. The Secretary General added that the Foreign Minister's continuous directives are providing the needs of African people, particularly those who face natural or humanitarian disasters or who suffer from dangerous diseases like AIDS.