ニカラグア・ホンジュラスでのハリケーン被災者に対し、緊急食糧支援開始 (和文要約、本文は英文)

ニカラグア・ホンジュラスでのハリケーン被災者に対し、緊急食糧支援開始

パナマ発　−　9月4日ニカラグアに上陸し、甚大な被害を引き起こしているハリケーン「フェリックス」の被災者に対し、WFPは豆、米、食用油、大豆とトウモロコシの混合食糧などを空輸し、緊急食糧支援を開始した。

ニカラグア北部では強風や建造物崩壊により、6万人もの人々が被害に遭っていると推定される。ゴルダナ・ジャーガーニカラグア副事務所長は、「こうした人々を助けるために、緊急支援を拡大する必要があり、一刻も早く拠出国からの支援が必要である」と述べている。

ハリケーンが発生した4日にはWFPは食糧支援を開始し、5日には、900人に対する10日間分に相当する4.5トンの食糧を空輸した。しかしこうした支援は、航空および水上輸送が可能な地域にしか配給されておらず、今後復興支援を行っていく上でも、国際社会からの一層の支援が必要とされている。

また、4日にはホンジュラスでも支援が開始された。



WFP FOOD AIRLIFTED TO VICTIMS OF HURRICANE FELIX

PANAMA - An emergency airlift of food aid from the United Nations World Food Programme arrived today in the Nicaraguan coastal town of Bilwi (formerly Puerto Cabezas) for distribution to hungry residents who bore some of the worst of Hurricane Felix’s punishing Tuesday landfall.

Preliminary estimates by WFP indicate as many as 60,000 people were directly affected in the northern Nicaraguan region where high winds destroyed or damaged homes and commercial buildings. Despite these losses and the hardship, humanitarian officials were relieved that Hurricane Felix did not cause more damage during its trajectory through Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.

“Hurricane Felix had the potential to create enormous devastation and suffering for millions of people,” said WFP Deputy Director Gordana Jerger. “We are extremely fortunate. However, there is still a lot of urgent work to be done in helping those who were affected and we will need immediate financial assistance from our donors who have proven repeatedly that they are prepared to help.”

Today’s airlift consisted of 4.5 MT of beans, rice, oil, fortified corn-soya blended food and cooking oil, delivered by an airplane belonging to the Nicaraguan Air Force. The food is enough to feed almost 900 people for ten days. Road transport has been halted after a key bridge was washed away by the rain-swollen river. “We are only able to deliver assistance to the affected areas by air, sea or river,” said WFP Country Director William Hart.

The airlift marked the second emergency distribution of WFP food in the coastal region since Hurricane Felix struck early Tuesday. An additional 70 MT of WFP food were distributed on Tuesday in Bilwi and Waspam, just hours after Hurricane Felix struck the area.

Also on Tuesday in Honduras, WFP staff in the capital city Tegucigalpa distributed food to thousands of people who had gathered in shelters. Meanwhile, in El Salvador, WFP is still assessing Felix’s impact, especially in geographically vulnerable areas.

“Because WFP has food stocks for its long-term projects in the area, we were able to respond with unusual speed,” Jerger said. “However, not only will these stocks have to be replenished, we will need international support for our operation in Nicaragua where people require assistance, not just in the short term, but also to rebuild their lives and homes in the coming months.”