The United Nations They flee daily from the fighting in Darfur, Sudan, to seek safety in neighboring Chad

UNITED NATIONS, July 12 (IANS) Thousands of people in Sudan’s Darfur region choose every day the life of a refugee in neighboring Chad rather than the constant fighting in their homeland, UN humanitarian staff said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that the World Food Program is expanding its operations to support new arrivals, many of whom have been infected. To date, the agency has provided food and nutrition assistance to more than 150,000 people on the border between Chad and Sudan.

OCHA added: “It is also essential that the World Food Program be able to safely deliver food assistance to the remaining civilians in West Darfur.”

“So far, the Agency has been able to provide food and nutrition support to more than 420,000 people in East, North, South and Central Darfur, but the current security situation in West Darfur makes safe operations there impossible.”

Xinhua reported that the office in southeastern Sudan said the Food and Agriculture Organization is working to increase local food production where possible, and distribute seeds for the planting season.

Trucks carrying about 50 tons of sorghum seeds arrived on Monday in Blue Nile state, while the agency has sent truckloads of seeds to other accessible locations.

OCHA said that between May 22 and July 7, it facilitated the movement of more than 630 trucks carrying more than 28,500 tons of aid to 10 states in Sudan.

– Jans

int/khz