WFP air service in Sudan to continue for one month

May 15, 2008 (NAIROBI) — The UN World Food Program (WEP) said today that its Humanitarian Air Service (WFP-HAS) in Sudan can continue operations until mid-June, adding that there is still a risks of closure.

WFP-HAS, which flies about 14,000 humanitarian workers around Sudan each month, has faced a funding crisis this year. On its US$77 million budget for 2008, the air service still needs US$51 million to fly from mid-June onwards.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Nairobi, the WFP said a 2 million U.S. dollar contribution from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund(CERF) and accumulated private donations from Japan totaling just fewer than 500,000 dollars will allow the air operation to continue.

Last March the WFP-Humanitarian Air Service was extended its flights ntil 30 April, thanks to four donors who responded quickly to an announcement that the air operation would be grounded by 31 March due to lack of funds.

The air service is more important than ever because insecurity in recent months throughout Darfur has made road travel extremely dangerous. This year, 64 WFP contract trucks have been hijacked, with 41 still missing and 28 drivers are unaccounted for. Two WFP contract drivers have been killed in Darfur this year. Three other drivers and one assistant were killed in two separate incidents in southern Sudan.

(ST)