Donor Support Helps WFP Continue UNHAS Flights Across Sudan
KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed significant contributions from donors towards the operation in Sudan during 2015 of the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).
Timely contributions from the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), and the governments of the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland ensured that WFP, which manages UNHAS, continued to provide a vital service to humanitarian staff in the country until the end of 2015.
UNHAS is primarily funded by donor contributions in addition to nominal fees paid by passengers. In 2015, UNHAS was also supported by funds from the governments of the United States, Germany and Canada.
“We are very grateful to UNHAS donors who have been keen to see it continue its services to humanitarian workers who need to reach remote communities they serve across Sudan," said WFP Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan.
The UNHAS service was established in Sudan in 2004 to provide reliable passenger and light cargo service to the humanitarian community there. Currently, UNHAS serves 100 organizations, including UN agencies and humanitarian partners.
The humanitarian air service relies on a fleet of six aircraft (two fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters) based in Khartoum, Nyala, El-Fasher and Geneina. While the fixed-wing aircraft provide air shuttle services from Khartoum to the three Darfur state capitals, the helicopters facilitate humanitarian travel to areas that are inaccessible by road, either due to insecurity or to poor road conditions.
UNHAS is run by a steering committee comprising representatives of UN agencies, NGOs and donors, but is directly managed by WFP Sudan. On average, it transports 3,500 passengers and 20 metric tons of light cargo each month to more than 40 locations in Sudan. It also provides medical and security evacuations when needed.
# # #
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.
Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_mena
For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Amor Almagro, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2114), Mob. + 249 912174853
Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055
