WFP、国連総会の決議に賛同、実施を主張 （英文のみ）

WFP WELCOMES SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, URGES IMPLEMENTATION

BEIRUT – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on Lebanon as the best chance so far to end the armed hostilities and called for speedy implementation by both sides to stop the human suffering and allow desperately needed relief to reach the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by the fighting.

“We can only hope that the Security Council resolution will bring a speedy halt to the fighting. Only then will economic and commercial activity resume. While humanitarian efforts continue to be paramount, aid alone cannot keep the country going,” said Zlatan Milisic, WFP Emergency Coordinator in Lebanon.

At the same time, WFP called on the Israeli Defence Forces to ease restrictions and grant free and safe passage to aid deliveries across Lebanon. Today, the IDF refused concurrence on safety to four truck convoys planned by WFP to deliver humanitarian relief to Tyre and Rmeish in the south and to pick up relief supplies from Tripoli in the north and Arida in Syria. The IDF did, however, grant concurrence to a convoy of empty trucks returning from Sidon to Beirut.

“Every day that we are unable to deliver assistance brings further suffering to people who have been bombed out of their homes, who have been forced to seek shelter in schools and disused buildings, in cramped and unsanitary conditions,” Milisic said. “Access to all areas of Lebanon is crucial. International law on human rights requires the unhindered delivery of aid to civilians in need in times of conflict.”

“We feel as if we are in the middle of a minefield, told to take one step forward, to the left or right,” Milisic added. “But lately we have mostly been told to stay exactly where we are and wait.”

With the expansion of the Israeli offensive in south Lebanon, WFP has been refused access to the areas south of the Litani river since last Sunday. In addition, a convoy to Baalbek, in the Beka’a valley, was forced to stop overnight in the eastern town of Zahle on Thursday, because the road ahead was being bombarded.

In addition to the denials of concurrence of safety, the destruction of more than 140 bridges by the IDF and severe damage to roads has crippled WFP’s efforts, on behalf of the entire humanitarian community, to organise overland transport of relief items, including food for one quarter of the Lebanese population displaced from their homes.

WFP is working around-the-clock to overcome the enormous logistical challenges in moving trucks around the country. Damage to roads and bridges by bombardment necessitates taking lengthy detours -- up to five times as long -- along minor roads or dirt tracks, through which big trucks can only pass with difficulty.

Despite the immense challenges, WFP has succeeded in bringing some aid to Beirut by air. A Portuguese Air Force C-130 Hercules, flew four rotations for WFP from the UN Humanitarian Depot in Brindisi to Beirut airport last weekend

Two ships are also expected in Beirut port over the next two days with food and other supplies. The Kazim Genic, is sailing from Mersin, Turkey, carrying 2,750 metric tons of wheatflour, pasta and pulses. It is due to dock in Beirut tomorrow. On Monday, a WFP-chartered vessel, the Anamcara, is due from Larnaca with a cargo of WFP high energy biscuits and supplies for other UN agencies, including blankets for UNHCR, and for a large number of NGOs, including Caritas, MSF, Oxfam, Samaritan Purse and World Vision.

As the Logistics Cluster lead agency on behalf of the United Nations, WFP has established supply routes into Lebanon by air, land and sea, providing free internal transport, storage, and handling of humanitarian commodities for UN and partner NGOs. WFP's appeal for US$39.5 million for logistics services and inter-agency security telecommunications is facing a major funding shortfall of US$24.9 million for which cash is urgently needed. So far, WFP has received donations from: the United States (US$3 million), the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (US$3 million), the Netherlands (US$1.8 million), France (US$1.28 million), Norway (US$1.1 million), Canada (US$1.1 million), UK (US$933,000), Denmark (US$673,000), Spain (US$628,000), Germany (US$510,000) and Australia (US$480,000).

Against the US$8.9 million required for its emergency operation to provide food aid to 300,000 displaced people in Lebanon and Syria, WFP has received US$7.2 million in donations. These include contributions from Saudi Arabia (US$2 million), France (US$1.28 million), the European Commission (US$1.28 million), Australia (US$1 million), Canada (US$885,000), Luxembourg (US$314,000), Denmark (US$168,000), Greece (US$178,500), and Singapore (US$25,000).

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Note to editors: WFP is appealing for urgent funds for its Lebanon operation and would appreciate specific mention of our Donate Online page at www.wfp.org/donate

Video and photo images are available. Please contact Jonathan Dumont at jonathan.dumont@wfp.org for video images and Rein Skullerud at rein.skullerud@wfp.org for photos.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 58 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People. Visit our website: www.wfp.org

WFP now has a dedicated ISDN line in Italy for quality two-way interviews with WFP officials.

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Robin Lodge, Public Information Officer, WFP/Beirut, Mob. +39 340 8662992
David Orr, WFP/Beirut, Mob +963-98-4044-83, +961-70973964
Mia Turner, WFP/Cairo, Tel. +20-2-5281730, Mob. +20-122455769
Brenda Barton, Deputy Director of Communications, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39-06-65132602, Cell. +39-3472582217 (ISDN line available)
Christiane Berthiaume, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41-22-9178564, Cell. +41-792857304
Ellen Gustafson, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-917 367 5070, Mob. +1917 6171276, gustafsone@un.org
Greg Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 207 240 9001, Cell. +44-7968008474
Jennifer Parmelee, WFP/Washington, Tel. +1-202-6530010 ext. 1149, Mob. +1-202-4223383