U.S. Provides Emergency Food Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2006
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided $91 million in emergency food aid to support World Food Program (WFP) operations in Sudan and eastern Chad since October 1, the start of fiscal year 2007. The donation came in response to appeals by the WFP, which supplies food aid for up to 3 million in the Darfur region of Sudan and 220,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad who rely on WFP for their basic food needs.
Of the total, $76 million will assist people in Darfur and the rest of Sudan and $15 million will assist Sudanese refugees and affected communities in eastern Chad. The contribution will provide 93,510 metric tons of cereal and non-cereal commodities to the conflict-affected region. In fiscal year 2006, USAID provided 475,910 metric tons of food valued at $458 million to WFP and International Committee of the Red Cross operations in Sudan and eastern Chad.
WFP has reported that insecurity in Darfur prevented it from distributing food to nearly a quarter million people in September, but that number is down from 355,000 people in August. WFP is likely to face new funding shortfalls as early as January, 2007.
"The international community must collectively share the burden of assisting Darfur's most vulnerable. New donations are critically needed," said Michael E. Hess, Assistant Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.
The United States remains WFP's largest donor, providing half of WFP's 2006 worldwide appeal and two-thirds of all contributions received by WFP worldwide.
Sudan is USAID's largest program in Sub-Saharan Africa, totaling $855 million in fiscal year 2005. The complex program provides extensive humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in Southern and Eastern Sudan and Darfur, as well as extensive reconstruction assistance in the south, Abyei, Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan.
For more information about USAID programs in Sudan, visit our web site at: http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/sudan/index.html
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
Back to Top ^
|
RSS Feed for Recent USAID Press Releases
