In the first three weeks of September, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) dispatched 13.000 metric tons of food aid from warehouses to distribution sites, enough supplies to feed more than 750.000 of the most vulnerable people in Darfur.
The amount of food aid dispatched until September 20 raises the prospect that WFP will be able to meet, or come close to meeting, its target of reaching 1,2 million people with food during the month.
Access to internally displaced people throughout Darfur is steadily improving despite logistical and security problems. Some 75 percent of 153 identified IDP locations are now accessible. Since April, 2004, WFP has provided food to 102 of those locations.
Insecurity however remains a major concern for WFP, adversely affecting operations throughout the three Darfur states, but particularly in North Darfur.
On September 14, for instance, unidentified gunmen attacked a local truck carrying WFP food 20 kilometres west of the South Darfur capital of Nyala, wounding both the driver and his assistant.
From September 20, the road between Malliet and Malha in North Darfur, first declared closed by UN Security in late July because of the uncertain security environment, was again closed, severely hampering the delivery of WFP food aid.
Seasonal rains, while less intense than usual, caused widespread disruption of WFP activities in Darfur, particularly in West Darfur. Rain-swollen wadis and sodden tracks blocked many roads, delaying deployment of WFPs fleet of newly purchased all-terrain trucks and forcing WFP to use airdrops to reach IDP camps and locations cut off by road.
WFPs airborne capacity in Sudan continues to grow with the arrival on September 20 at Khartoum airport of two additional Ilyushin-76 jet transport aircraft while two Hercules C-130 aircraft were rebased from northwest Kenya to El-Obeid, from where they will continue primarily to serve southern Sudan.
WFPs air cargo fleet delivering food comprises five Ilyushin-76s, three Antonov-12s and two Hercules C-130s. Another Hercules and Antonov are moving non-food items.
As of September 20, the fleet had airdropped 1.448 metric tons of food aid in West and South Dafur. Another 1.987 tons of corn-soya blend (CSB) was airlifted from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa into the three Dafur states. It was the second CSB shipment of 2.000 tons to arrive in Darfur directly from Ethiopia.
An additional Hercules C-130, which is operated by the Belgian Air Force, has been ferrying non-food items into the Darfurs since late August. .
In support of humanitarian missions and airdrop operations, a total of four Mi-8 helicopters contracted by WFP are now flying in the Darfur region.
In response to increasing demand for passenger air services, a third Beechcraft 1900 aircraft started flying on September 21. The new plane helped ease the load on the passenger fleet of two Beechcrafts, a Piper Caravan and a Dash-8 turboprop. But another large passenger aircraft and trained personnel remain urgent requirements.
On the ground, 55 of l20 the 6×6 all-terrain trucks WFP y purchased are operating in West Dafur after facing significant delays due to insecurity and appalling road conditions.
The remaining trucks, including 24 airlifted directly into the country from the Netherlands, are in Khartoum, awaiting improved security in Darfur. Once this happens, 40 of these trucks will deliver close to 500 tons of pulses and oil to Nyala.
Early in October, results are expected from a food security and nutrition assessment mission jointly led by WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The missions findings will play a large role in determining whether WFP will continue to plan on reaching 2 million people by the end of the year. The target numbers for Darfur may change, depending on the missions analysis.
Kilde: WFPs Nordiske kontor i København
