7 August 2008
After aid supplies were burnt and looted during fighting in eastern Chad in mid-June, a United Nations emergency fund has stepped in to replace the supplies with a grant of $1.2 million.
The supplies include blankets, mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, tents, and soap.
"This loss of humanitarian supplies is yet one more example of the difficulties that continued insecurity poses for our work to save lives in eastern Chad," said Eliane Duthoit, head of the local Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
"Through this grant, we will be able to supply emergency household items to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in need, by replacing those lost. But I must call on all belligerent parties to respect humanitarian assets and supplies," she added.
The grant, which was provided by the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), will partly fund a project by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has primary responsibility for humanitarian assistance, managing camps and protecting IDPs.
"These funds will enable us to provide essential household items covering some of the needs of the refugee and IDP population in the Goz Beida region, affected by the events on 15 June," said Serge Malé, representative of UNHCR in the landlocked African nation.
Since its launch in 2006, the CERF has made available over $890 million for rapid disaster relief, helping the UN save tens of thousands of lives in 62 countries struggling with disasters, armed conflicts, or both.
Last week an additional CERF allocation of $6.8 million was supplied to Chad through reserves held for under-funded emergencies.
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