UNICEF was readying for emergency

The container of Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MRE) packs imported by the UNICEF and sealed by the Customs this week for an investigation on a government directive was meant for an emergency situation, the UNICEF has declared. The Sunday Times learns that the UNICEF Country Representative Philippe Duamelle who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on the issue of its staff members taking part in street demonstrations had also explained the situation about the meal packs.

The explanation came as the Customs on a directive of the Defence Ministry were conducting inquiries on the import of the meal packs from a French company. The probe came after JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa raised the issue in Parliament charging that the food packs were meant for the LTTE.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva assured a full probe would be held and a report submitted to parliament. The container comprising 5,600 food packets had arrived at the Colombo harbour on Sunday and it was cleared the same day by the UNICEF and taken to the warehouse at Seeduwa. The container was sealed before the items were removed, The Sunday Times learns.

Customs Chief Sarath Jayatillake told The Sunday Times that part of the inquiry would be to ascertain whether similar food packs were imported earlier and whether they were in violation of any regulations.

He said the Customs had released the container as they could not find anything questionable at the initial stage when the goods were being cleared. UNICEF’s Chief Communication officer Gordon Weiss told The Sunday Times the imports were not only for the UNICEF, but for 12 international agencies working on UN projects in the event of an emergency.

He said though it was mandatory for the UN agencies to maintain such food stocks in the event of an emergency, this was the first time they were making such import. Mr. Weiss said the food packs were sufficient for a three-day period considering that there were 1,500 local and international staffers stationed in various locations including Colombo, in the south of the country and in Kilinochchi.

He confirmed the claims made by the JVP that the food packs had been produced by a firm which supplied food for armed forces, but said that they had bought tents from companies that supplied material for both the military and humanitarian groups.

The JVP Propaganda Secretary told parliament his party was gravely concerned about the incident and called for the expulsion of UNICEF Programme officer Jennifer Taylor who was directly responsible for importing the consignment. He also demanded the closure of the UNICEF office in Kilinochchi. A UNICEF spokesman said that Ms. Taylor was not available for comment.