British, US workers withdrawal will not affect UN food program

Spokesman for the UN World Food Program, George Somerwill, said that the withdrawal of the US and British citizens working in the program in Iraq will not affect the work performance of the UN humanitarian agency.

Somerwill said that with the exception of two US citizens --the secretary of the special UN representative in Iraq and the assistant of one of the UN agencies -- all other US and UK staff had left Iraq. He at the same time announced that work will continue smoothly and naturally.

On Thursday, the UN announced that it had decided to withdraw the British and US citizens working with the UN humanitarian program after Baghdad announced that it would no longer be able to guarantee their security following the air raids launched by US and British forces against Iraq in January.