afrol News, 11 March - The United Nations food agency, World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that banditry is delaying its vital food deliveries to Sudan's Darfur region.

WFP is also concerned about the maintenance of its Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS), fearing that lack of contributions may ground the service at the end of March.

"This is an unprecedented situation," said Kenro Oshidari, WFP representative in Sudan. "Our humanitarian air operation for aid workers could be forced to stop flying because we have no money, at a time when our helicopters and aircraft are needed more than ever because of high insecurity on the roads."

WFP is currently transporting about half as much food into Darfur as it normally would at this time of year and the turnaround time for deliveries has slowed because truckers are unwilling to risk driving on the dangerous roads. So far this year, five WFP passenger vehicles and 45 WFP-contracted trucks have been hijacked. A total 37 trucks remain missing and 23 drivers are unaccounted for.

The UN body currently has about 60,000 metric tons of food in Darfur, equal to about two months\' rations for the two million people that rely on WFP food assistance.

Despite expecting an increase in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance and food rations during the rainy season by 50%, WFP officials said they will be forced to reduce rations in some areas if it cannot maintain deliveries.

"It is vital that the main transport routes are secured. Our trucking contractors are delivering food under immense risks and the situation is unsustainable," Oshidari said, making reference to the latest incident on 4 March when seven trucks were stolen and drivers abducted on their way to El Fasher in North Darfur.

The bandits unloaded the food, left it behind and drove off with the trucks.

WFP said it has not yet received confirmation donations for the annual budget of its humanitarian air service. Failure to receive the US $77 million will force annual budget of US $77 million means the halting of the operation until new funds are available.

With 24 aircrafts and six helicopters, an average of 8,000 humanitarian workers per month use WFP-HAS in Darfur. About 3,000 of WFP staff and non-governmental organisation members use helicopters to access remote areas unreachable by road to carry out crucial health care, water and sanitation or food relief work.

"The entire humanitarian community depends on WFP-HAS. With a recent upsurge in insecurity in West Darfur and increased banditry on the roads throughout the region, the air operation is more important than ever. If it shut down, even for a brief period, vital relief would be denied to vulnerable civilians in Darfur," Oshidari said.

Apart from carrying 160,000 passengers from 170 different agencies and non-governmental organisations in Sudan, WFP-HAS also conducted 267 emergency medical and security evacuations and relocations in Darfur.

An amount of US $697 million is needed to maintain the air service operations to feed up to 5.6 million people.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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