House approves $350 million for food aid in fiscal 2007
The House of Representatives passed a bill March 16 by a vote of 348-71 that includes $350 million for emergency international food aid.
The Senate will take up its version of the bill next month.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development said Friday it will provide $16 million in emergency food aid for the World Food Program for distribution to drought-stricken Kenya. The contribution will provide 22,090 metric tons of whole and processed food grains, peas and vegetable oil. So far in 2006, USAID has supplied more than $32 million, or about 45,000 metric tons, in emergency food aid.
Since January, USAID has contributed more than $130 million in emergency drought relief, including 200,000 metric tons of food aid, to feed starving populations in Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia.