ダルフールで紛争が激化する中、より多くの人々に食糧援助が届く (英文のみ）

FOOD AID REACHES MORE PEOPLE IN DARFUR AMID GROWING VIOLENCE

KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme announced today that in September, food rations reached more than 158,000 people in Darfur, western Sudan, who have been cut off in recent months.

The number of people not reached has been dropping steadily from 470,000 in July to 355,000 in August and now 224,000. While heartened by this improvement, among the 224,000 not reached last month are 139,000 who have gone without food aid for four months.

Although some areas of Darfur are still inaccessible, WFP successfully distributed food aid to a total of three million conflict-affected people in Darfur in September.

Figures released today show that the improvement in reaching beneficiaries is thanks to the strong cooperation among the humanitarian aid community to negotiate access and organize delivery. WFP food aid was distributed in parts of Darfur previously cut off by fighting and banditry.

“Despite the difficult security situation, WFP and our partners in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were able to take advantage of windows of opportunity to deliver long-awaited food aid to parts of North Darfur. We are working hard to reach those who remain cut off,” said Kenro Oshidari, WFP Representative in Sudan.

Those who were newly reached last month live in the northernmost part of Darfur. They were given a double ration to cover the months of September and October; continued insecurity means that WFP cannot guarantee that access for food deliveries will be available this month.

“The situation is especially serious because we are in the annual ‘hunger season’ just before the harvest, when there is very little food available,” Oshidari said. “In a volatile situation, food aid is vital to stability.”

The harvest is expected to begin soon, so food availability in communities should improve. However, the persistent insecurity means that some people – if they were lucky enough to have planted at all – may be prevented from harvesting their crops.

However, the situation across the region remains precarious. Carjacking and harassment of drivers of trucks carrying supplies increased last month, hampering the operations of many national and international NGOs and UN agencies.

WFP and other aid groups have been warning that the Darfur region was reaching a critical state. Mounting instability in many parts of the region has made it more difficult for aid workers to reach more than three million people who need international aid. Twelve humanitarian workers have been killed in Darfur since May – more than the total number since the conflict began in early 2003.

“WFP calls upon all parties to the conflict to recognise the vital work of humanitarians to provide food, water, health and other urgently needed services to the civilian population,” Oshidari said.

Thanks to the recent confirmation of some major donations, so far this year, WFP has received 89 percent of the US$746 million required for its emergency operation.

Donors include: the United States (US$413 million), the European Commission (US$85.4 million), carry over from previous operations (US$64 million), United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund (US$32 million), Canada (US$17.4 million), Japan (US$8.4 million), multilateral donors (US$7.2 million), Australia (US$7 million), Sudan Government of National Unity (US$6.2 million), Libya (US$4.5 million), Germany (US$2.5 million), private donors (US$2.2 million), Italy (US$1.9 million), Ireland (US$1.8 million), Norway (US$1.8 million), Switzerland (US$1.7 million), Denmark (US$1.7 million), New Zealand (US$946,000) France (US$788,000), Belgium (US$604,000), United Kingdom (US$366,000), Luxembourg (US$255,000), Greece (US$251,000) and Iceland ($200,000).

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Note to editors: New video B-roll on Darfur available by contacting WFP’s video unit: jonathan.dumont@wfp.org or marco.frattini@wfp.org

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Emilia Casella, WFP/Khartoum, Mob. +249 91 217 9190, Tel. +249 183 248 001, ext. 2140.
Simon Crittle, WFP/Khartoum, Mob. +249 91216 7293, Tel +249 183 248 001, ext. 2142.
Peter Smerdon, WFP/Nairobi, Tel. +254 207 622 179, Mob. +254 733 528 911.
Brenda Barton, Deputy Director Communications, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132602, Mob. +39 3472582217
Christiane Berthiaume, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. +41 79 285 7302
Cecile Sportis, WFP/Paris, Tel. + 33 1 70385330, Mob. +33 6161 68266
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474.
Ellen Gustafson, WFP/New York, Tel. +1 917 367 5070.