UN approves food distribution plan for Iraq

The United Nations has approved a plan for distributing food and medical aid in Iraq, clearing the way for a resumption of limited Iraqi oil exports.

A U.N. spokesman said the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, approved the plan late on Monday.

Under an oil-for-food deal, Baghdad is allowed to sell about two billion dollars worth of oil every six months to buy food, medicine and humanitarian supplies.

But Iraq suspended the oil exports early in December to protest against delays in delivering the supplies.

The new plan was agreed last month and sent for approval to Mr Annan.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service