Sudan: Ejection Of Aid Groups

In Sudan, UN Relief Chief Reiterates Regret At Ejection Of Aid Groups

New York, May 7 2009 5:10PM The top United Nations humanitarian official today reiterated his disappointment at the Sudanese Government’s decision to expel over a dozen aid agencies from its war-torn region of Darfur earlier this year, while welcoming a “new beginning” in relations with Khartoum.

John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, co-chaired a High Level Committee (HLC) meeting aimed at facilitating more effective relief aid delivery in Darfur.

The Government expelled 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and revoked the permits of three local groups after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant on 4 March for President Omar Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We still regret the decision that resulted in the departure of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs),” said Mr. Holmes, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

“It was not justified,” he said, adding that the best way forward would be a reversal of the decision. “However, in the meantime, we need to work with the Government of Sudan to find ways forward.”

Mr. Holmes noted that today’s reaffirmation by the Government that NGOs are welcome in Sudan was a positive step. “We need to work towards having a better operating environment than we had before March 4.”

A joint statement issued on the first meeting of the Strengthened HLC, which Mr. Holmes co-chaired with Sudanese Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Haroun Lual, noted that the meeting “was constructive and marked a ‘new beginning’ in the dialogue between the Government of Sudan and the international humanitarian community.”

On Friday, Mr. Holmes travels to Southern Sudan, where he will meet UN officials and representatives from the Government to push for greater attention to north-south issues, the needs of civilians and a strategy for relief and recovery in the region.

The next leg of his five-day trip to the Sudan will take the humanitarian chief to Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since 2003.

In Darfur Mr. Holmes will meet with local leaders and aid workers to review the humanitarian situation in the area in the wake of the NGO expulsions. He will also review issues pertaining to the protection of civilians in Darfur, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.

ENDS

© Scoop Media