Sufficient food is available in Egypt for the remainder of the transition period, said Fathy Abdel Aziz, head of the surveillance and distribution section at the Social Solidarity Ministry.
Abdel Aziz told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the ministry has a strategic reserve of wheat estimated at five million tons which can last up to six months.
The ministry also has large amounts of subsidized cooking oil estimated at around 250,000 tons, enough for three months, he added.
Sugar stock, according to Abdel Aziz, will be sufficient until the end of February. The Social Solidarity Ministry has 265,000 tons ready to be distributed, in addition to 179,000 as a strategic reserve.
The ministry also has enough rice for three months.
“There is a strategic surplus of petroleum enough for seven days,” he said, explaining that it could face shortages. He also warned against overbuying, which could create a crisis.
Abdel Aziz added that the ministry is trying to provide as many butane gas cylinders as possible to the people. However, an ongoing problem is that cylinders might be stolen, he added.
Supplies of gas cylinders are vulnerable to theft since security forces are occupied with the protests, the minister added.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
