Hollywood actors support WFP air operations in Darfur

March 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations World Food Programme received today a half million of dollars from a group of Hollywood actors to finance the delivery of humanitarian aid by aircrafts.

WFP announced earlier this week that by the end of March it would be forced to ground the helicopters and aeroplanes that carry crucial supplies and relief workers to remote parts of Darfur because no confirmed donations had arrived to its US$77 million budget this year.

The vital Humanitarian Air Service run by the UN World Food Programme in Darfur has received its first donation of 2008: US$500,000 from Not On Our Watch, the humanitarian and advocacy organization founded by the Hollywood actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and civil rights lawyer David Pressman.

This is the World Food Programme’s second donation from Not On Our Watch; in 2007, the organization granted $1 million dollars toward UN WFP-Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS).

“Having seen first hand the epic humanitarian challenge in Darfur, George Clooney and his colleagues know the life saving power of the Humanitarian Air Service,” said Josette Sheeran, WFP’s Executive Director. “This contribution will make a difference to the millions of vulnerable women and children trapped there, and we hope it will inspire other donations.”

“World Food Programme planes and helicopters deliver humanitarian workers and urgent supplies to nearly every aid organization working in Darfur,” said George Clooney, a co-founder of Not On Our Watch.

An average of 8,000 relief workers in Darfur, who provide essential food assistance, water and healthcare services, use WFP-HAS each month. This number includes 3,000 passengers on the six helicopters travelling to the most remote parts of Darfur, unreachable due to insecurity and lack of road access.

More than half of WFP-HAS passengers work for non-governmental organizations and charities, while others work for UN humanitarian agencies such as WFP, UNICEF the World Health Organization and others. Some humanitarian cargo is also carried on WFP-HAS, although the majority of supplies arrive by truck.

“Since we issued our statement earlier this week we have heard from other traditional donors and we are hopeful that more contributions will arrive before the end of March,” said Kenro Oshidari, the WFP Representative in Sudan.

WFP-HAS’s monthly budget to run its 24 aircraft throughout North and South Sudan (including Darfur) is US$6.2 million.

(ST)