WFP humanitarian air service to continue up to September

June 30, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – UN World Food Programme said that the the humanitarian air service which flies aid workers to critical areas in Sudan will continue running until the end of September.

“These donations have arrived just in time. Our passengers – relief workers from more than 200 aid organizations operating in Sudan – would be unable to do their vital work without WFP-HAS,” said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Representative in Sudan.

After the World Food Programme (WFP) announced service cuts on June 10, and warned that the Humanitarian Air Service (HAS) it runs in Sudan risked being grounded due to a severe lack of funds, five donors stepped forward with contributions totalling US$14.8 million.

Grants include: $4 million from the United States, $4 million from the UN Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) for Sudan, $3.8 million from the European Commission, $2.5 million from Canada and $500,000 from the US-based Annenberg Foundation. Additional pledges are also expected in the next two months.

“The air service is especially important at this time of year, when the rains make most roads impassable. Added to that, banditry and insecurity have made it too dangerous for humanitarians to travel by road in many parts of Darfur – for example, each month an average of 3,000 aid workers are flown to the deep field in Darfur on WFP-HAS helicopters,” Oshidari said.

While Oshidari thanked donors, he stressed that the service cuts must remain in place and warned that WFP-HAS has no funds confirmed beyond September – meaning it still risks closure in the fourth quarter of 2008.

(ST)