UNITED NATIONS GRANTED PERMISSION TO FLY FOUR ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT TO DELIVER URGENT RELIEF SUPPLIES TO SOUTHERN SUDAN
Press Release
IHA/657
UNITED NATIONS GRANTED PERMISSION TO FLY FOUR ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT TO DELIVER URGENT RELIEF SUPPLIES TO SOUTHERN SUDAN
19980505 NEW YORK, 4 May (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sergio Vieira de Mello, welcomes the agreement reached yesterday in Khartoum with the Government of Sudan to permit Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) to fly three additional Hercules C-130 and one Buffalo aircraft to deliver urgently needed relief to southern Sudan. This will allow OLS to deliver food and other relief to war- and drought-affected populations in Bahr Al Ghazal and other areas of southern Sudan, so that a potentially disastrous famine can be avoided. The United Nations is continuing to work with the Government of Sudan to ensure access to all affected populations in Sudan.This brings the total number of aircraft managed by OLS to five C-130s and three Buffalos. With these aircraft and other modes of transport, OLS will be able to deliver approximately 6,000 tons of food assistance per month. This will greatly assist OLS to meet the food needs of 380,000 people in both government and rebel-held areas of Bahr Al Ghazal, and an additional 410,000 people facing severe hunger in other parts of southern Sudan, such as the Bentiu area in Unity state and parts of Equatoria.
Donors are urged to respond generously to the 1998 United Nations consolidated inter-agency appeal for Sudan, where United Nations agencies requested $109.4 million to meet the food and non-food needs of war- and drought-affected Sudanese. Total funds required have increased as a result of the severe deterioration of the situation in Bahr Al Ghazal and other parts of southern Sudan. The United Nations has been encouraged by the concerns expressed by donors about the needs of populations in Bahr Al Ghazal. However, United Nations agencies confirmed that immediate support will be required on an urgent basis for the next four months if the needs existing in southern Sudan are to be met. More precisely, $20.2 million in food and cash is required by the World Food Programme (WFP) and $4.5 million in non-food items by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to address the most pressing needs.
* *** *