Damaged Food Aid Destroyed in Routine Exercise

12 January 2008

Damaged Food Aid Destroyed in Routine Exercise

El Fasher, North Darfur – The routine disposal of a limited quantity o food assistance is scheduled to begin today, under the supervision of the UN World Food Programme and a committee of local authorities in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The food – 63 metric tons of mixed commodities including sorghum, wheat and pulses – was damaged during transport and is no longer fit for consumption. It will be destroyed in a safe and secure manner, according to official procedures.

WFP regrets having to destroy any food assistance, but from time to time, when food is damaged by rain or during transport from Port Sudan, a small amount must be destroyed. This is a normal occurrence, and is carefully monitored by WFP.

In this case, the 63 mt of food is a very small quantity: less than 00.58 per cent of the total 10,784 metric tons average monthly food distributed in North Darfur in 2007.

WFP has strict guidelines for the safe and correct disposal and destruction of damaged food. WFP informs the authorities when such disposals are necessary and works together with the Ministry of Health, Quality Control, the Humanitarian Aid Commission, National Security, Military Intelligence and the police to ensure the safe destruction of the food.

WFP cares very much about the health and safety of the 2.4 million vulnerable people who currently received WFP food assistance in Darfur. In order to fulfil this need, each month WFP trucks as much as 50,000 MT of food to the three Darfur states.

All WFP food is tested by Sudanese government authorities at Port Sudan and receives all necessary clearances and is deemed to be fit for human consumption before it arrives in Darfur.

For more information please contact :

Emilia Casella, WFP Sudan/Khartoum +249-912-179-190 [email protected]

Khaled Mansour, WFP/Cairo +20-122-348671 [email protected]

Heba Kandil, WFP/Cairo +20-122-348510 [email protected]