Ankara -- Assistant Secretary of State Robert Pelletreau announced November 15 that the United States Agency for International Development has issued a grant of $11 million to two United Nations agencies to help the population of northern Iraq face the rigors of the upcoming winter.

The World Food Program will receive $7.3 million to distribute more than 18 thousand metric tons of wheat grain in northern Iraq under its winter emergency program, Pelletreau said.

UNICEF will receive the remaining $3.7 million to address the region's immediate health, water and sanitation needs.

"UNICEF and the World Food Program have demonstrated their outstanding effectiveness and ability to operate in even the most difficult circumstances," Pelletreau said. "We are confident that, working through UNICEF and the World Food Program, we can most effectively address the immediate needs of the local population."

Following is the transcript of statements to the press by Pelletreau and UNICEF representative Reiko Niimi, and questions and answers:

(Begin transcript)

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: Well, good afternoon. We are taking a short break from our working sessions inside, because we wanted to have an occasion here in Turkey to announce some additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to northern Iraq. The United States, for more than five years, has led humanitarian assistance efforts in northern Iraq to alleviate some of the suffering created by the repression.

United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations have contributed tremendously in implementing this assistance. We are grateful for the continuing assistance provided by the Government of Turkey in facilitating access in the area, as well as providing its own contribution.

The need for relief to the Kurds, Turkomans, the Assyrians, and other inhabitants of the region continues, even while threats from Baghdad, Iranian provocation, and differences among northern Iraqi leaders make the work more difficult. Recent fighting has also been a step backward, creating more refugees and damaging more vital infrastructure. With the coming winter, the need for immediate assistance has become more urgent.

I am pleased to announce today that the United States government is providing 11 million dollars in relief assistance to United Nations agencies in northern Iraq. And I am pleased that there are representatives of UNICEF and of the World Food Program here with us this afternoon.

The United States Agency for International Development is contributing 7.3 million dollars in food contributions through Public Law 480 Title II to the World Food Program's winter emergency program. These commodities, which include more than 18 thousand metric tons of wheat grain, will help meet critical food needs for the most vulnerable persons in northern Iraq during the upcoming winter.

The Agency for International Development is also providing 3.7 million dollars to fund UNICEF projects in the North that address the most immediate health, water, and sanitation needs for both urban and rural areas of Iraq's three northern governates.

We will continue to work with UNICEF and with the World Food Program to assess developing needs and provide relief contributions to ensure that the vulnerable populations of northern Iraq have the relief they need.

In their activities in the North, UNICEF and the World Food Program have demonstrated their outstanding effectiveness and ability to operate in even the most difficult circumstances. We are confident that, working through UNICEF and the World Food Program, we can most effectively address the immediate needs of the local population.

Our support to the United Nations agencies in northern Iraq also helps strengthen the delivery system which will be used to implement UNSCR 986 when conditions of stability are re-established on a sustained basis in the North, and when the government of Iraq finally agrees to the UN's implementation plan and allows the program of exporting oil and purchasing and importing medicines and humanitarian supplies to begin.

We support the implementation of Resolution 986, as written and as intended, as soon as these necessary conditions are met.

Ultimately, the only way to relieve the suffering of all Iraqis is for the Iraqi government to meet in full its obligations to the UN Security Council.

Until then, the United States will do its share to relieve the suffering and meet the basic human needs of the people of northern Iraq through programs such as I am announcing to you today in our grants to UNICEF and to the World Food Program.

Thank you very much.

UNICEF Representative Reiko Niimi:

NIMI: Thank you, Ambassador Pelletreau, for this generous pledge of support to UNICEF. The ongoing efforts of the United States, Turkey and other countries to broker peace in northern Iraq will no doubt save countless lives through increased confidence, access, and security for humanitarian relief workers and Iraqi citizens.

Since 1991 UNICEF and our partners have been working to help all Iraqi children, who continue to suffer disproportionately from events beyond their control. Children who once enjoyed very high standards of health and education now suffer from collective years of wars, economic sanctions and internal conflicts. Thanks to such generous donor support, UNICEF has delivered assistance worth 160 million dollars during the past six years to Iraqi children in the form of medicine, water, sanitation supplies, education equipment and fuel. Seventy-five percent of these supplies have come through Turkey to go to northern Iraq.

In March of this year UNICEF and other UN agencies launched an emergency appeal for Iraq, but when the oil-for-food program under the Security Council Resolution 986 seemed about to commence, other donor support was not forthcoming, except for about ten percent. When this Security Council Resolution 986 was postponed, UNICEF launched an emergency appeal together with the World Food Program in order to be able to confront a critical situation facing Iraqi children. Thanks to the pledge of the United States government, many of the critical needs for the winter will be met.

As Ambassador Pelletreau mentioned, UNICEF plans to implement projects totalling 3.7 million dollars, which will provide life-saving support by repairing water and sanitation systems, supplying drugs and emergency equipment to clinics, and providing school supplies. These will help the Iraqi children face another winter but will fall short of ensuring basic rights that all children should have. As we move forward in the negotiations, the relief work that we need to search for lasting peace will continue so that Iraqi children can have a better life tomorrow. Thank you.

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: Thank you for allowing us to make this announcement in front of you this afternoon. We will now go back and continue our sessions in the other room.

Q: (Inaudible)

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: The assistance that is being given through the UN agencies is intended to be distributed throughout northern Iraq, and the UN agencies have the responsibility for doing that. We want it to be available and help all the communities of northern Iraq equally.

Q: I just came back from northern Iraq yesterday and I would like to ask you, without having active American involvement on the ground, do you think it is sufficient for the United States to get its aid to the children of northern Iraq through international agencies alone, (inaudible) infrastructure on the ground?

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: Well, we recognize that there is an immediate need now, with the coming winter, and so we are making these grants through UN agencies that have an established presence and established programs on the ground because we don't want to have delays. That is the immediate need.

Q: Do you see any time in the near future when the United States will reestablish a presence on the ground in northern Iraq?

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: That is not a question that is related to the humanitarian assistance, so I am not really ready to answer that one right now.

Q: (Inaudible)

AMBASSADOR PELLETREAU: This grant is for United Nations agencies. Of course, the Turkish Red Crescent is continuing its own programs in northern Iraq and they are very positive and very beneficial. Thank you very much.

(End transcript)

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