WFP Welcomes Cross-Border Humanitarian Deliveries To South Sudan Via Sudan
JUBA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes the safe arrival of the first convoy of food assistance moved through Sudan to South Sudan.
Eighteen trucks transporting 700 metric tons of food, enough to feed about 45,000 people for one month, have arrived in Upper Nile state from Kosti marking the opening of a humanitarian corridor to enable the delivery of food assistance to South Sudan through the Republic of Sudan.
“Reopening this humanitarian corridor from Sudan will help reduce our heavy reliance on costly air operations to provide assistance in conflict affected areas of South Sudan,” said WFP South Sudan Country Director Joyce Luma. “This will allow WFP and partners to reach more vulnerable people with the urgent food assistance that they need.”
The current cross-border operation will see WFP use trucks and river barges to deliver a total of 4,650 metric tons of food to feed around 275,000 people for one month in the northern parts of South Sudan who have been affected by the conflict. Airdrops and airlifts of food are critical in sustaining food assistance to remote areas but cost six to seven times more than delivery by barge or road.
Since the start of the crisis in South Sudan in December 2013, WFP has reached 2.5 million people with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance.
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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. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
George Fominyen, WFP/Juba Mob. +211 922 465 247
Amanda Lawrence-Brown, WFP/Nairobi, Tel. +254 20 762 2336, Mob. +254 707 722 105
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