UN may have to scale back Asian quake-aid flights

THE World Food Programme yesterday warned it may be forced to scale back vital aid flights for victims of the South Asia quake within days if it does not receive more donations.

The UN agency warned last week that without more donor money it would soon be forced to reduce or halt altogether helicopter flights to areas affected by the October 8 quake, which killed about 80,000 people and left more than three million homeless.

Spokesman Robin Lodge said: "As we stand, we just can't carry on flying these things. It'd be safe to say that within the next three or four days, we'll have to look at scaling back."