United Nations Radio

The World Food Programme reports that it has been able to distribute food to key nutritional centres and hospitals in Goma yesterday, but the agency says it's not able to meet all the nutritional needs of people in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Tens of thousands of people have been newly displaced by fighting between rebels and government forces, and have fled to the capital of North Kivu province. Marcus Prior, a WFP spokesman in Nairobi, says the agency normally needs ten thousand tons of food a month to distribute in the area, but because of restrictions on the movement of its trucks and personnel, now has less than half of that left.

Meanwhile, he says WFP is preparing for another possible movement by the displaced Congolese to neighboring countries.

"If there is a large outflux of refugees from Goma - we hope there won't be, but if there is - we have food in place, including high-energy biscuits to meet the most immediate needs of people who are fleeing perhaps with nothing at all. We are in place to do that in Rwanda and very much the same kind of planning is happening across the border in Uganda, as well."

WFP says the new displacement couldn't have come at a worse time for food security, this being planting season in the eastern DRC.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio.

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