Fighting in Haiti stalls food-aid shipments

Fighting in Haiti stalls food-aid shipments    The United Nations World Food Program said armed clashes in Haiti are starting to take their toll on deliveries of food-aid to different cities within the island nation.
   Ongoing fighting in Gonaive resulted in the closure of the road connecting Port-au-Prince and the northern towns of Port-de-Paix and Cap Haitien. This is the main route WFP uses to transport food to resupply stocks.
   In February, WFP will need to deliver about 1,400 metric tons of cereals to its warehouses in Cap Haitien and Bombardopolis to assist 268,000 people in the north and northwest parts of Haiti.
   “More than half the food required this month is ready for transport,” said Guy Gauvreau, WFP country director in Haiti, in a statement. “If we are not able to move it in the coming week, food distributions will be disrupted and malnutrition will rise.”
   Cap Haitien, the second-largest northern Haitian city, remains cut off from the rest of the country with no supplies arriving since last week. “We are exploring all options, including transporting food aid by boat, in order to avoid a break in supplies,” Gauvreau said.
   WFP warehouses in Cap Haitien and Bombardopolis have a total capacity of 5,500 metric tons and house 1,000 metric tons of food, such as oil, beans and cereals.
   Despite the fighting, WFP has delivered food to about 77,000 people in the poorest areas around Port-au-Prince.
   Since the end of November, there have been eight attacks on trucks carrying WFP food, during which 61 metric tons of food was lost. “While these incidents have not halted the distribution of our food, looting could become a major issue in the near future if the political and social situation continues to deteriorate,” Gauvreau said.
   WFP warned its funding for operations in Haiti remains insufficient. The latest commitments total $3.7 million from the United States and European Union has helped. However, WFP still faces a $3.1 million shortfall for 2004.