UN World Food Program mission due in Baku

The head of the UN World Food Program (UNWFP) in Azerbaijan, Sharif Zaher, updated Azeri vice-premeier, chairman of the State Committee on Refugees Ali Hasanov in a meeting Wednesday on the negotiations in the UNWFP headquarters in Rome, Italy, to extend food assistance to Azeri refugees after its term expires in June 2002.

Mr. Zaher said that a UNWFP mission is expected in Baku in October to become familiar with the life style of IDPs and to raise statistic data. The mission is scheduled to get involved in distribution of the aid. It is also to analyze Azerbaijan’s need for food assistance and to report to the UNWFP general headquarters. Mr. Zaher voiced a hope that the report would foster the extension of the assistance.

The activities of the UNWFP was suspended in June 1999 and then resumed for three more years after President Aliyev applied to the organization’s head office. The assistance to be rendered till June 2002 is valued at $24 million.

A. Hasanov expressed his gratitude to Mr. Zaher for his personal efforts during the top level negotiations in Rome, the Committee said in a statement Wednesday.*