Lack of funds forces suspension of WFP air service

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to suspend its Humanitarian Air Passenger Service (CIMAH) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as of 10 March due to a lack of funding, the UN agency reported.

"We are keeping the aircraft in Kinshasa until the end of March in the hope that, when and if funding should arrive, the CIMAH operation could restart immediately," Philippe Martou, head of the WFP CIMAH programme, told IRIN on Tuesday.

Humanitarian sources based in Goma, eastern DRC, lamented the loss of what they believed to be a vital service, particularly as it coincides with a major reduction in flights to Goma by the UN peacekeeping mission there (known by its French acronym, MONUC). MONUC has significantly reduced its presence in Goma as personnel have been redeployed to the interior as part of Phase III of its mission, which involves the disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration of former combatants following years of conflict in the DRC.

"MONUC has its own orders and agenda. They are not here for the transport of humanitarian workers. If they have space available, air transport is normally granted," Martou told IRIN.

The free WFP service was intended to reinforce the capacity of the humanitarian community to field missions across and within front lines in a country with a weak logistical infrastructure. The project was due to be extended until December 2002 at a cost of some US $2 million, and was incorporated into this year's appeal for funding.

WFP began its passenger air service in July 2001 in an effort to improve humanitarian and diplomatic access to remote areas in the DRC, and to overcome security constraints. Initially, $2.2 million was budgeted for the first six months of the operation for the use of two aircraft. However, this initial plan could not be fully implemented due to a lack of funding, and only one aircraft was chartered.