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Sudan Tribune

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Government obstructs humanitarian aid in eastern Sudan- UN

Mar 21, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The UN has held the government responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern Sudan and also accused the government of restricting the movements of UN workers in the region which has lead to a large number of the UN staff leaving Kassala for Khartoum.

Speaking to the press yesterday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Manuel da Silva, said that there were a lot of obstacles facing the UN mission in eastern Sudan the worst being the security situation, which has led to the UN cutting down of its development projects.

Da Silva pointed out the importance of respecting the freedom of movement for the UN workers and its peacekeeping troops.

He pointed out that the humanitarian situation in eastern Sudan had been completely paralysed causing the citizens to suffer more.

He revealed that the UN mission was determined to enter dialogue with the government next week to resolve these issues.

Earlier this month, Sudanese government had ordered the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Samaritans Purse Relief International, to suspend its humanitarian activities in the region.

The New York-based International Rescue Committee, whose operation in northeastern Sudan helps some 45,000 people, will complete pulling out two international staff and 25 Sudanese workers.

The International Rescue Committee and Samaritan Purse are the only international charity groups providing food aid, basic health care, vaccination, safe drinking water and education services as well as training midwives in an effort to curb high rates of deaths during childbirth in the region.

There are fears that the expulsion of the two agencies will lead to a serious humanitarian crisis in the forgotten corner of Africa’s largest nation, an E.U. official said.

The official said Sudan’s government expelled the aid agencies from the region possibly because it thought it could get away with the move because the international community is preoccupied with the conflict in the country’s western Darfur region, where African tribesmen have rebelled against the Arab-dominated central government.

The Beja Congress, an exiled group representing numerous eastern Sudan tribes, criticized the decision to expel the aid groups.

“They expelled them because they want to make the lives of our people even more miserable and much more difficult -and remember these are people who have already lost a lot and are suffering untold hardships,” said Asmat Ali, head of the group’s relief wing. “We know definitely that the result of this action will be even more deaths for our children and women from food shortages and health care.”.

(ST)

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