Cablegate: Spain Will Consider Additional Assistance to Wfp

VZCZCXYZ0566
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #1186 3491608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151608Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1567

UNCLAS MADRID 001186

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ONI BLAIR, SCA/P
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON ETRD IO PGOV PHUM PK PREF PREL
SUBJECT: SPAIN WILL CONSIDER ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO WFP
IN PAKISTAN IN 2010

REF: STATE 126694

1. Post conveyed reftel appeal December 11 to MFA
SubDirector General for Continental Asia Jose Luis Garcia
Galan, who agreed to discuss the matter with colleagues at
the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and
Development (AECID).

2. AECID contacts, in response to the urgent appeal for
short-term assistance to cover World Food Program shortfalls
in 2010 in Pakistan, assured Post December 14 that Spain was
following the situation "with interest" and would consider
new contributions beginning in January 2010. According to
the head of AECID's Emergency and Post-conflict Department in
the Office of Humanitarian Action, Pablo Yuste Echarren, his
office has dedicated 8.5 million Euros to the crisis, of
which 4.5 million were designated for WFP activities. He
confessed that AECID's 2009 budget was "practically
exhausted," but agreed to review additional commitments in
the new year.
CHACON

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