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afrol News, 5 December - For the first time in nearly four years, a large grain vessel has docked at the Eritrean port of Assab, the World Food Programme (WFP) today reported. The arrival of the MV Pontocratics, chartered by WFP to carry 15,000 metric tonnes of relief food donated by the United States government, marks the first significant shipment to be handled by the port since war broke out between Eritrea and Ethiopia in May 1998. Until the war broke out, Assab had served as a major port of entry with as much as 90 percent of its cargo destined for Ethiopia. With the outbreak of war, the port became effectively redundant overnight with the smaller port of Massawa servicing all imports to Eritrea. - Our new ability to use Assab will greatly benefit relief operations, said Patrick Buckley, WFP's Country Director in Eritrea. "The use of Assab will also create employment opportunities ... for local people in and around Assab, which had become almost dormant." The 15,000 tonnes of food aid brought in is designed to feed 800,000 Eritreans who are victims of drought or who are being displaced by the war had not been able to return home in time to cultivate crops this year. WFP Eritrea also provides emergency food aid to more than one million people displaced by the 1998 Eritrea-Ethiopia border conflict but who failed to return home in time to cultivate crops. WFP is also involved in a US$ 2.9 million operation, with the objectives to purchase equipment for the ports of Massawa and Assab to cater for the expected increase in imports during year 2001/2002. Sources: Based on WFP and afrol archives
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