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Contact: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Press Office, 202-712-4320; Public Information, 202-712-4810
WASHINGTON, June 25 /Standard Newswire/ -- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $4 million to the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Sudan. This brings the total United States contribution to UNHAS in Sudan to $7.2 million in fiscal year 2008.
"The UNHAS flights in Sudan provide an important service, as ground transportation is very dangerous due to ongoing violence," said USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore. "We are working with all necessary parties to ensure continued humanitarian access so the international community can get aid to those in need."
The UNHAS flights are used by approximately 14,000 UN and international and non-governmental humanitarian organization staff for travel to Darfur and other parts of Sudan. The U.S. contribution, along with timely donations from the United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund for Sudan and the European Commission, will allow UNHAS to continue operating during the critical period of the upcoming rainy season. Further reductions in air service would have impaired the ability of humanitarian organizations to respond to the needs of the people of Sudan. In addition, fewer UNHAS flights would reduce the ability to respond to urgent medical evacuation requests and necessary staff relocations caused by insecurity.
This UNHAS funding is in addition to the nearly $580 million in emergency assistance provided by the United States in fiscal year 2008 to assist those in need in Sudan and Eastern Chad. The United States is the single largest donor to Sudan, providing half of all humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Government has contributed more than $4 billion in humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping assistance to Sudan and eastern Chad since 2005.
For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs in Sudan and around the world, visit www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.
