Accord with Kabul on wheat supply likely :FO

By Our Correspondent

Dawn
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 : A Foreign Office spokesman said here on Saturday that Pakistan shared the concern expressed by the World Food Programme regarding severe food shortages in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the spokesman said that, according to the latest estimates, cereal deficit in Afghanistan in 1999-2000 was estimated at about 1.1 million tons. He said that only a part of the deficit - 100,000 tons of wheat and other commodities- would be supplied by the WFP this year.

The spokesman said that despite its own dependence on food import, Pakistan would try to help Afghanistan as much as possible to overcome this crisis.

It was imperative that the international community tooknotice of this grave situation which had been exacerbated by the recent UN sanctions, and rush emergency food aid to Afghanistan on humanitarian considerations.