Rumble: Food Convoys: No Romantic Trips
WFP Food convoy in Darfur[i-WFP Food convoy in Darfur]
On Thursday 18 October, another incident occurred near Jebel Mara in South Darfur. According to initial reports, five WFP-contracted trucks were stopped by 20 armed men. Two of the five trucks were stolen along with their cargo of relief food (23 tons). All the drivers were released, however some sustained injuries. All personal belongings were stolen.
Since the beginning of this year, there have been more than 20 attacks on WFP food aid convoys in Darfur.
Picture courtesy Martin Walsh
For updated humanitarian news, check out The Other World News Read the full post...
Rumble: Food Convoys in the Rainy Season
Rumble: Food Aid Crossing African Rivers
More pictures illustrating the challenges of trucking relief food to remote locations. They were taken in CAR - the Central African Republic.
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Pictures courtesy Angus Fraser with thanks to Alex Marianelli.
For updated humanitarian news, check out The Other World News
Rumble: Food Aid to Where No-One Goes.
On the floor I am working, we have about fifty people. These fifty people coordinate the shipment of 4 million tonnes of food aid per year. 4 million tonnes are transported via ocean freighters, coastal vessels, trains, trucks, barges and -in case no other transport is available- via cargo plane, to the beneficiaries in the world's most remote locations.
We go where there are no roads, no service shops, no gas stations, no road side restaurants, nothing. We go where only one sort of thing exists: challenges...
Here are some pictures from our food aid trucks battling the odds in Sudan:
[i-link] This does not look bad, but once those axles rest on the sand, there is only one thing to do: start digging, or towing!
link[i-link]Slightly worse.
link[i-link] 10 tonnes of food per vehicle, does tend to push the wheels a bit into the sand.
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Nope, nothing wrong with this one! This truck is finding its way through a flooded passage, and is still moving.
[i-link]This one was more unfortunate... It got in too deep and the water washed it away.
Martin reports that in the mean time, with a second hand cabin, this truck is back on the road again!
Pictures thanks to Martin Walsh!