Bandits hinder trucked food aid deliveries to Darfur

Bandits hinder trucked food aid deliveries to Darfur Bandits are stealing trucks and abducting drivers, hindering the delivery of much needed food aid to more than 2 million people in Darfur, the United Nations’ World Food Program said.
   So far this year, bandits have stolen 23 WFP-contracted trucks. Nineteen drivers are still missing.
   “Our main trucking companies now refuse to send in more vehicles because of this upsurge in banditry and therefore we have no one to deliver about half our monthly food relief requirement,” said Kenro Oshidari, a WFP representative, in a statement Wednesday. “If the situation continues, we’ll be forced to cut rations in parts of Darfur by mid-February.”
   WFP has urged Sudanese authorities to improve safety on main routes in Darfur.
   In December, WFP fed 2.1 million people in war-torn Darfur. A total of 106,000 people in need could not be reached with food aid in December because of lack of security, WFP said.
   About 40,000 metric tons of food is needed to feed Darfur’s most vulnerable people each month. The transport companies refusing to send their trucks into Darfur normally deliver 15,000 to 20,000 tons per month.
   “Without these deliveries, WFP faces a rapid depletion of stocks and the inability to pre-position food ahead of the rainy season, which is due to start in May,” Oshidari said.