US donation prevents WFP ration cuts to Sudan’s Darfur region

NAIROBI, Apr 26, 2005 (Xinhua) — The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) will not be forced to carry out expected ration cuts next month for people living in Sudan’s war ravaged Darfur region thanks to donations by the United States.

Sudanese men unload sacks of sorghum during a delivery of aid from the World Food Program in Kalma Camp, near Nyala town, Darfur. (AFP).

In a statement issued in Nairobi on Tuesday, the UN food agency said the Food for Peace program under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has stepped in and redirected to Sudan around 14,000 metric tons of non-cereals.

“We are extremely appreciative of the urgent efforts made by the United States to prevent ration cuts at such a critical period, ” said Ramiro Lopes da Silva, the WFP’s representative and country director in Sudan.

The WFP had planned to halve the non-cereals part of the daily ration for general distributions in Darfur in next month as a last resort due to severe under-funding.

“Even before this new donation, the United States has contributed 60 percent of the food and 50 percent of cash towards the WFP’s emergency operation,” it said.

However, the WFP warned that despite this stop-gap measure for the current non-cereals shortfall, the overall emergency operation in Darfur still remains severely under-funded.

“Of the 467 million US dollars the WFP needs for the Darfur operation, only 281 million dollars has been received, leaving a 40 percent shortfall,” the agency said.

“The rainy season coincides with the peak of the hunger season. With limited food supply, the situation is going to be dreadful for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese,” Lopes da Silva said.

Adding to the difficulties is the recently increased estimate of people requiring food aid, it noted.