By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The United Nations has made a new appeal for emergency food aid to Haiti, saying that a shortfall in funds could lead to higher malnutrition in the Caribbean nation, especially among children and poor families headed by women.

In an April 16 statement, the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP) asked for $8 million in aid from the international community, warning that a "staggering" shortfall from a previous appeal was threatening to undermine the agency's operations in Haiti.

In response to the violence that has wracked Haiti in recent months, WFP Executive Director James T. Morris said: "Haiti urgently needs support from the international community now. Poor people cannot wait for a return to stability before receiving their daily food rations."

For its part, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said in February that it had more than 11,000 metric tons of food commodities for direct distribution to Haiti's indigent population and orphanages. USAID provides food and food-related assistance directly and indirectly to 640,000 Haitians.

The United States is Haiti's largest aid donor. In fiscal year 2003 USAID contributed $71 million, while in fiscal year 2004 USAID plans to provide $52 million in assistance in the areas of health, democracy and governance, education, and economic growth.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is committed to the long-term development of Haiti. Powell has noted that the United States has committed $55 million in economic and other assistance to Haiti and that the Bush administration also plans to work with international financial institutions, other international organizations, and the European Union to provide additional assistance to Haiti.

The WFP's food aid to Haiti reaches 140,000 Haitians -- expectant and nursing mothers, children under age three, people affected by HIV/AIDS, and orphans. Another 373,000 Haitians are being fed by other WFP programs, the agency said.

About 80 percent of the Haitian population lives in poverty. Haiti has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS outside sub-Saharan Africa. One out of every three Haitian children is chronically malnourished, while 8 percent suffer from acute malnutrition.

The WFP said that it has resumed food shipments in the last few weeks to the city of Cap Haitien and is starting full-scale food distributions in the country's northern provinces. But WFP said security remains a concern, particularly in some areas in the north that are said to still be under the control of armed nongovernmental groups.