Statement By World Food Programme Executive Director Josette Sheeran On Humanitarian Response To Haiti Quake

In the week since the earthquake struck Haiti, more than 250,000
ready-to-eat food rations have been distributed by the United Nations
World
Food Programme and the U.S. military. WFP is streaming humanitarian
assistance into Haiti, opening up air, sea and land corridors, and
rehabilitating emergency telecommunications systems for the entire
humanitarian community.



It is vital that the response from the global humanitarian community
matches the immense needs of the people of Haiti. Within the next week,
WFP aims to move the equivalent of 10 million ready-to-eat meals so that
people whose homes have been destroyed, and who have no access to cooking
facilities can feed their families.



To achieve this, WFP is establishing 4 humanitarian hubs to deliver food
assistance in Port au Prince, and at least 30 others at locations across
Haiti.



With immediate food needs so great, WFP is issuing a global appeal to
military leaders across the world to donate 100 million ready to eat meals
so that we can sustain this lifeline of food to the hungry in the first
phase of the emergency. As WFP's operation develops, we aim to transition
to general food distributions of items such as rice, vegetable oil, dried
beans and lentils.



WFP has already received pledges to provide 16 million ready-to-eat meals
and is in the process of procuring 4.2 metric tons of supplementary ready
to use foods specifically designed to deliver daily calorific and
nutritional requirements of children.



To support this massive operation, WFP is utilising five humanitarian
corridors into Haiti. Food assistance and relief supplies will move by
road from the neighbouring Dominican Republic, by air into the main
airport
at Port au Prince, and another airstrip at Barahonas, through the main
port
in the Haitian capital, and into another seaport at Cap Haitien.



An agreement on guaranteed landing slots for aircraft carrying
Humanitarian
assistance means that the flow of aid to the people of Haiti will increase
dramatically in the coming days.



Much has been achieved in the short space of time since this crisis began,
but this will be a long and complex humanitarian operation. WFP is
appealing for US$279 million to support its relief operation in Haiti and
is asking governments across the world to assist by helping to
rehabilitate
Haiti's ports, repair the road infrastructure, provide security for
humanitarian workers, and donate trucks.



So far, more than US$60 million has been received in donations from
governments. Around US$ 6 million has been donated by the private sector,
and more than US$2.5 million has been donated through unprecedented
on-line
giving.



Source
World Food Programme