www.justicenotvengeance.org

Food not bombs protestors occupy DfID for 3 hours

Twelve members of the anti-war group Justice Not Vengeance occupied the Department for International Development (DfID) for 3 hours this morning to demand an immediate end to the bombing of Afghanistan and a massive aid effort to avert looming famine. The group displayed a banner reading ‘A matter of conscience. FOOD NOT BOMBS. A matter of survival’ and refused to leave.

Meanwhile collegaues outside distributed over 2000 leaflets to curious passers by on Victoria St.

After two hours the group had planned to leave, but DFID officials offered them an ‘on the record’ meeting with Sir John Vereker, DFID Permanent Secretary , so they stayed a little longer. Spokesperson Robin Oakley said, ‘Figures from the World Food Programme (WFP) clearly show that food delivery to Afghanistan has decreased drastically since the bombing began.[1] Mr. Vereker, like the rest of DFID, appears to be somewhere between a state of denial and confusion. In the space of twenty minutes he cited Ms. Short’s claim that the bombing had no effect on food supplies, later said he doubted whether the bombing had much effect on food distribution but also said that food distribution was “difficult where there is conflict.”’

‘Only a quarter of the food needed is reaching Afghanistan and less than one fifth can be distributed [2]. The current military situation is seriously hampering the humanitarian programme.[3]’

‘Mr. Vereker also told us that Cluster bombs are only being used “where absolutely necessary”, and they do not have time delay fuses. Yet the US are telling Afghans on the air-dropped radios to be careful not to confuse food parcels with cluster bombs.’ [4]

‘Clare Short claims that ending the bombing will not help the people of Afghanistan. This is manifestly untrue. Clare Short has likewise dismissed the concerns of experienced aid agency officials as ‘emotion’ and accused unnamed agencies of wanting to be in the news in order to raise money. This is a disgrace.
All the major aid agencies have called for at least a pause in the bombing to allow food aid to be delivered [5]
Contact 0794 783-9992 / 07950 567099
Photos : Jack 07711 777357. TV Footage: BBC + Al Jazeera

[1] World Food Program had been delivering 52,000 tonnes a month of food aid to Afghanistan before September 11th. Latest reports have food deliveries increasing to 900 tonnes a day, still way short of the pre S11 figure(www.wfp.org)
[2] See ‘Christian Aid responds to Clare Short’s statement on Afghanistan’, Christian Aid, 24th October (www.reliefweb.int)
[3] According to the Red Cross (Update no 22/2001, 17th October) assistance ‘crucial to the survival of large segments of the population is seriously hampered by the current military situation.’ (www.reliefweb.int)
[4] Reuters, Monday October 29, 2001 “US warns Afghans of yellow cluster bomblets”
[5] Oxfam International, Islamic Relief, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Tear Fund and ActionAid issued a join agency press release calling for a pause in the bombing on 17th October. They were subsequently joined by CAFOD.