February 12, 2006	Sunday	Muharram 13, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The United Nations Helicopter Service would run out of fund by the end of February unless donors provided more money, UN sources said on Saturday.

“It looks the operation would run into financial difficulties by next week if it continues at the current rate,” a senior official told this reporter.

Donors have been approached for funds but if nothing is forthcoming then the most likely option for the UN would be to scale down the operation, the official said.

The flash appeal for supporting the entire relief operation stands 68 per cent funded. Therefore, a gap still exists which would have to be financed, he added.

The money, he said, was coming but it was not enough. It is estimated that an additional $13 million are needed to continue the helicopter operations until the end of this special operation set at April 14.

An additional $69 million is required to prolong the project to December 31.

These calculations are based on the assumption that helicopter support operations require approximately $500,000/day. Since the start of the air operations, UNHAS has airlifted 13,139 tons of food items, 3,334 tons non-food items and 27,799 passengers.

Twenty helicopters are currently operational. In addition, UNHAS tasks four US and two other helicopters on a day-to-day basis, bringing the total air assets under UNHAS to 26.