Chad: $ 1.2 million provided to replace lost aid supplies

(New York / Geneva / N'Djamena: 07 August 2008): The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the United Nations has granted an amount of $ 1.2 million, in response to a request from Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad Kingsley Amaning, for the emergency replacement of non-food items (NFIs) that were burnt or looted as a result of warfare in eastern Chad in mid-June.

'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 will partly fund a project by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has primary responsibility for humanitarian assistance and protection to refugees, and specifically for camp management and the supply of non-food items (NFIs) for IDPs, as well as for their protection.

'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. He added that such items include blankets, mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, tents, and soap.

Since its launch in 2006, the CERF has made available over $ 890 million for rapid disaster relief, helping the United Nations save tens of thousands of lives in 62 countries struggling with disasters, armed conflicts, or both. The Fund comprises voluntary contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, the private sector, and individual donors. This year, donors have pledged nearly $ 432.2 million for the Fund, bringing the total amount contributed since March 2006 to over $ 1.1 billion. All United Nations entities as well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) can access CERF funding within 72 hours of a crisis. This enables them to save lives, especially during the earliest stages of a disaster, by immediately focusing on quick life-saving assistance.

This grant of $ 1.2 million comes as part of the Fund's rapid response component, which releases funds for humanitarian activities following new unexpected needs. Chad's humanitarian operations had benefited from another CERF allocation of $ 6.8 million last week through a totally different mechanism for under-funded emergencies, whereby funds are allocated twice a year to projects and crises that are not sufficiently funded.

For further information, please contact:

Maurizio Giuliano, Public Information Officer, United Nations, N'Djamena
Email: giuliano@un.org - Tel: +235-6053892

Katy Thiam, Associate Information Officer, United Nations, Abéché, Chad
Email: thiamk@un.org - Tel: +235-6201542

Stephanie Bunker, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), New York
Email: bunker@un.org - Tel: +1-917-3675126

Elizabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Geneva
Email: byrs@un.org - Tel: +41-22-9172653