LRA attacks force WFP to halt work
Aug 25, 2009
THE World Food Programme is evacuating border areas in southern Sudan following repeated attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
By Barbara Among
THE World Food Programme is evacuating border areas in southern Sudan following repeated attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
At a press conference held on Monday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the WFP country director, Kindru Oshidari, said the agency had evacuated Izzu on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the attacks.
Oshidari said the rebel group last week stole food items belonging to the agency.
The WFP director called upon the Southern Sudan army to protect their employees and property if they were to continue working in the area.
He said the United Nations’ food agency would start air- dropping food over areas in southern Sudan that were threatened by famine.
“Air drops are more expensive to carry out as they involve larger planes than airlifts where the aircraft lands and is unloaded. The airdrops are now required as some areas are cut off due to poor roads and insecurity,†he explained.
WFP aims at providing 22,000 tonnes of food to 300,000 additional people facing severe food shortages by the end of the year. Half of the volume will be air-dropped, Oshidari said.
In all, 1.3 million people in southern Sudan now need food aid due to lack of rain, high prices and low prices for their cattle, he disclosed.
In June, at least 40 South Sudanese soldiers and civilians were killed when tribal fighters attacked boats carrying WFP food to Akobo in Jonglei state.
Ethnic attacks have continued and threaten a fragile 2005 peace deal between the south and north.
Meanwhile, news agencies reported on Monday that over 1,200 Congolese had fled LRA attacks since July and sought refuge in the Central African Republic (CAR).
“Over the last two months, 1,207 refugees have been recorded in Obo and Mboki, towns in southeastern CAR,†the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and local aid group Jupedec said.
THE World Food Programme is evacuating border areas in southern Sudan following repeated attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
At a press conference held on Monday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the WFP country director, Kindru Oshidari, said the agency had evacuated Izzu on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the attacks.
Oshidari said the rebel group last week stole food items belonging to the agency.
The WFP director called upon the Southern Sudan army to protect their employees and property if they were to continue working in the area.
He said the United Nations’ food agency would start air- dropping food over areas in southern Sudan that were threatened by famine.
“Air drops are more expensive to carry out as they involve larger planes than airlifts where the aircraft lands and is unloaded. The airdrops are now required as some areas are cut off due to poor roads and insecurity,†he explained.
WFP aims at providing 22,000 tonnes of food to 300,000 additional people facing severe food shortages by the end of the year. Half of the volume will be air-dropped, Oshidari said.
In all, 1.3 million people in southern Sudan now need food aid due to lack of rain, high prices and low prices for their cattle, he disclosed.
In June, at least 40 South Sudanese soldiers and civilians were killed when tribal fighters attacked boats carrying WFP food to Akobo in Jonglei state.
Ethnic attacks have continued and threaten a fragile 2005 peace deal between the south and north.
Meanwhile, news agencies reported on Monday that over 1,200 Congolese had fled LRA attacks since July and sought refuge in the Central African Republic (CAR).
“Over the last two months, 1,207 refugees have been recorded in Obo and Mboki, towns in southeastern CAR,†the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and local aid group Jupedec said.