WFP Cuts Back Air Service For Aid Workers In Sudan Because Of Lack Of Funding

The ability of 14,000 aid workers to travel to Darfur and other
parts of Sudan will be reduced with immediate effect due to a lack of
funding for the Humanitarian Air Service, the United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP) announced.



WFP-HAS, the air service run by WFP on behalf of the entire
humanitarian
community in Sudan, must cut one helicopter immediately and two
fixed-wing
aircraft on 19 June from its fleet because it is unable to cover the
costs
of carrying aid workers to remote parts of Darfur and southern Sudan.
Also,
fees for helicopter flights in Darfur will increase from 1 July.



"Since March, we've been facing the possible closure of the air
service
because of a lack of funds. The measures announced today are aimed to
keep
vital services going for longer, while we wait for new funding to
be
confirmed," said Kenro Oshidari, WFP's Representative in Sudan.



"Undoubtedly, this is a blow to the humanitarian effort in Sudan.
The
impact will be felt by vulnerable people who depend on the
international
community for crucial services," he said, adding the cuts will also
reduce
the ability to respond to urgent medical evacuation requests and
staff
relocations because of insecurity. Last year, WFP-HAS carried out
267
security and medical evacuations.



WFP-HAS needs an infusion of $20 million by June 15 in order to avoid
some
of the cuts and maintain full service through the coming months. The
total
UNHAS shortfall is $48 million on the $77 million budget for this year.
The
cuts announced today are as follows:



1. The Darfur helicopter fleet is reduced to five from six with
immediate
effect. About 3,000 humanitarian workers use WFP helicopters each month
to
reach remote parts of Darfur, where travel by road is impossible due
to
insecurity, banditry or poor road conditions. One helicopter currently
due
for maintenance will not be replaced, bringing the fleet down to
five
helicopters.



2. Helicopter fees will be increased as of July 1. The user fees paid
by
humanitarian passengers on helicopters will be raised to $100 per
flight,
from the current $40 - a 250 percent hike. This makes the helicopter
fee
equal to that of the fixed wing aircraft.



3. Reduction of flights to Darfur and South Sudan as of June 19. WFP
will
not renew contracts on two fixed-wing aircraft: one Dash-8 and
one
Beechcraft 1900. Flights to Darfur from the capital Khartoum will
be
reduced to five days a week from six. Service to Juba, the capital of
South
Sudan, will be reduced to three flights a week from four, while service
to
Rumbek and Malakal will be reduced to two flights a week from three.
The
loss of the Beechcraft 1900 will reduce the ability to provide
extra
flights on high-traffic days and to pick up stranded passengers when
other
aircraft have technical problems.



In addition, WFP has cancelled plans to add one Twin Otter aircraft
to
serve field locations in West Darfur. Earlier this year, armed clashes
in
the area near the border with Chad increased the demand for
the
Humanitarian Air Service there, but this additional service will not
be
possible.



The cuts announced will reduce monthly spending from $6.2 million
to
$5.2 million. About 70 per cent of the budget supports Darfur
humanitarian
activities.



So far this year, donors have provided $13.2 million in
confirmed
contributions to WFP-HAS, about 17 per cent of the required budget. For
the
first three months of the year, WFP-HAS was sustained by $15.8
million
generated by a nominal fee charged to passengers in 2007 and carried
over
to this year's operation. Aid organizations pay $100 per seat on a
fixed
wing aircraft and, until the July 1 price increase, $40 per seat on
a
helicopter.



WFP-HAS has received contributions this year from the European
Commission
($4.5 million), the United States ($3.25 million), the UN Common
Emergency
Response Fund + Common Humanitarian Fund ($3 million), Private
Donors
($900,000), France ($756,000) and Ireland ($739,000).




WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: this year, WFP plans to
feed more than 70 million people in around 80 countries.



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