US aid arrives in Sudan
2004-05-05 11:30
Washington - The US Agency for International Development announced that the first of four aid airlifts planned for this week had arrived on Tuesday in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, delivering 650 rolls of plastic sheeting for building shelters.
The shipment arrived in Nyala aboard a chartered aircraft, and USAid staffers were overseeing distribution arrangements, the agency said in a statement.
Each roll of the sheeting can provide shelter for 10 families, it noted.
A total of 1 400 rolls of plastic sheeting and 37 500 blankets, worth more than $750 000, are being delivered this week.
"Through this initial airlift and subsequent planned flights, the United States government is working to respond to the enormous needs on the ground in Darfur," Roger Winter, USAid's assistant administrator for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance, said in the statement.
"In addition to the immediate needs for food and medical supplies to the displaced populations, we have to provide people with temporary shelter to protect them from the elements as we enter the rainy season," he added.
Up to a million people have been displaced from the western Sudanese region, and more than 100 000 of them have sought refuge in Chad, according to the United Nations.