First UN food aid convoy to cross Sahara Desert arrives in Chad to help refugees

Battling soaring temperatures, inhospitable terrain, frequent mechanical breakdowns and persistent problems caused by wind and sand, the first convoy of trucks carrying emergency food aid across the Sahara Desert from Libya has reached its destination in eastern Chad after an arduous 23-day journey covering 2,800 kilometres.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced the caravan's arrival today, adding it will help to feed about 30,000 refugees from the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur for a month.

Late yesterday the convoy of 20 trucks arrived in the Chadian town of Bahai, where their load of 440 tons of wheat flour was checked and then distributed to the refugee camp at Oure Cassoni and the settlement of Iriba, where it will be further distributed among nearby camps.

WFP said the journey's success shows the Libyan corridor is a viable alternative for delivering aid to the massive population of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Darfur.

At least 200,000 Sudanese refugees live in Chad, while another 1.2 million are IDPs in Darfur because of attacks by Government-allied militias and fighting between Khartoum forces and two rebel groups.

Jacobus Saenen, who led the convoy, said the Libyan corridor has many advantages over other routes and has the potential to allow WFP to deliver hundreds of tons of aid every month.

"It saves both distance and time. It's long, but it also has a big advantage during the rainy season because it is dry," he said.

UN humanitarian agencies turned to the Libyan corridor because the most direct route to eastern Chad, from the port of Douala in Cameroon via the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, is impassable for much of the year because of annual heavy rains. Many convoys on this route have been blocked for days or the vehicles have been rendered inoperable.

In mid-July the Libyan Government signed a landmark 10-year agreement with WFP guaranteeing the sage passage of relief supplies through the country.

Covering about 135 kilometres each day, the convoy battled extreme temperatures - the mercury often rose above 45 degrees Celsius - and difficult terrain, the threat of banditry, and recurring problems with wind, sand and dust to deliver its cargo. Driving was restricted to mornings and evenings to avoid the highest temperatures.

Casey Kauffman, a WHO public information officer who travelled with the caravan, said the group encountered every aspect of the Sahara, the world's largest desert.

"Flat, endless, pure sand desert with no reference for orientation; rolling chains of shifting sand dunes; sharp rocks; mountain regions of moonscapes and huge rock cliffs; rolling hills, red sand and spectacular rock formations," he said.

A goat or sheep was killed each day to provide food for the convoy members, who also took fruit and vegetables to eat during the journey.

WFP reported there were several mechanical breakdowns, including one that took more than half a day to fix. Military escorts were also provided by Libya and Chad in areas where bandits can be a problem.