South Africa’s financial contributions to international relief programmes in Africa had halved during the past three years from R12,1-million to R6-million, according to the foreign affairs department’s
annual report for the year ending March 2002.
Referring to an attached table of financial contributions, the report says it clearly showed how the rand denominated values had shrunk during the past three years.
”…What is even more damaging is the fact that contributions to certain programmes such as the Irin early-warning system for Southern and East Africa, have had to be discontinued in their entirety,” it says.
The largest contribution for humanitarian aid went outside Africa to Cuba, with a R2-million donation for hurricane relief.
A total of R1,46-million was also spent on chartering two cargo flights to deliver 80 tons of aid to the victims of the volcano eruption in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the report says.
Angolan landmine victims were given R200 000 via the
International Committee of the Red Cross, and a further R200 000 via Unicef for internally displaced Angolan children.
Other contributions included: Humanitarian relief in Africa totalling R464 682 via the International Committee of the Red Cross; R500 000 food for Angolan refugees in Zambia via the UNCHR; R300 000 to Palestinian refugees; R500 000 via the World Food Programme for starving drought-affected Zimbabweans; R500 000 food for starving flood-affected Malawians via the World Food Programme; R70 000 to the OAU special refugee contingency fund; R50 000 to the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women programmes in Africa, and
R50 000 to the UN Development Fund for Women Programmes in Africa. – Sapa