Rebels in the troubled western Sudanese region of Darfur have allowed the World Food Programme (WFP) unimpeded access to areas under their control in order to carry out an assessment of the food needs of civilians living there, the United Nations food agency said.
The agreement allowing free access, was reached between WFP and the two rebels groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), following a meeting on 6 August in Eritrea, between rebel representatives and a joint UN mission.
WFP Sudan spokesman, Richard Lee, told IRIN that the agreement was a “crucial first step” towards reaching conflict-affected people who had so far not received help because their areas could not be reached due to insecurity.
Rain had also impeded access to some of the areas because roads had become impassable, he added.
The agency currently has access to 119 of the 153 locations for internally displaced people known to exist in Darfur, and that it has so far provided assistance to 72 of the camps. Beneficiaries are being registered and verified in another 34.
– WFP will now be able to assess the food aid needs of tens of thousands more vulnerable people in previously inaccessible areas, it said in a statement adding: – Assesments are an essential component of the food aid process since they must be conducted before WFP can begin registering beneficiaries and providing food aid.
Despite heavy rains and continuing insecurity, WFP said it intended to provide food aid to 1,2 million of the most vulnerable people in Darfur during the month of August, a 30 percent increase on the 950.000 people reached in July. It planned to reach two million people by the end of October.
The two rebel groups assured WFP that food aid convoys would not be subjected to any unwarranted delays or interference while passing through rebel-controlled areas.
The first 21 of 120 all-terrain trucks destined for Darfur are on the road to the region loaded with Corn Soya Blend (CSB) and were expected to arrive in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, by the end of August, according to WFP. An additional 35 trucks were due at Port Sudan by mid-August.
According to WFP, two recent large donations from the United States (28 million US dollar) and the European Union (15 million euros) had eased the pressure on its food pipeline. WFP had so far received 123 million US dollar of the 195 million dollar required to fund its operations in Darfur until the end of 2004.
The agencys emergency operation now faces a shortfall of 72 million US dollar, or 37 percent of the total requirements. It has sufficient resources for the next few months, but extra donations are needed to ensure that there are no pipeline breaks for pulses and CSB in October or cereals in November.
Kilde: FN-bureauet IRINnews
