Darfur refugees to get less food

GENEVA – The U.N. food agency said Friday it is cutting rations in half for about 3 million refugees in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region because of a shortage of money, calling it “scandalous” that it has to stretch out supplies while it pleads for funds.

The World Food Program said it would reduce food handouts to 1,050 calories a person starting Monday – down from the 2,100 calories that is considered the daily minimum requirement.

“This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Haven’t the people of Darfur suffered enough?” said James Morris, the U.N. program’s chief.

About 180,000 people have been killed and 3 million driven from their homes by fighting in the western Sudanese region since February 2003, when rebels from black farming villages took up arms against what they consider discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated government.

Donor governments have given the World Food Program only $238 million of the $746 million the agency needs this year for the whole of Sudan, according to the WFP.