October 14, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The head of Oxfam America visited Internally Displaced Persons in North Darfur camps to view the increasing activities of the group in the restive region where are 2.7 million IDPs.

Sudanese women made homeless during the five-year Darfur conflict, crowd to see President Omar al-Beshir during his trip to El-Fasher, north Darfur on July 23, 2008 (AFP)

Last March, Sudanese authorities expelled 13 international aid groups from the country accusing it of cooperating with the International Criminal Court which had just issued a an arrest warrant for the Sudanese President over Darfur war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Since the expulsions, Oxfam America is rapidly scaling up its programs to help meet the enormous humanitarian needs in Darfur. The group has begun directly working to provide life-saving water and sanitation programs to more than 215,000 people in North Darfur and plans to expand this work to West and South Darfur.

During his visit to North Darfur, Oxfam America president Raymond C. Offenheiser met with IDPs and community leaders in Al Salam and Abu Shouk camps to discuss their needs and concerns. He also met with UN and state government officials in the region and Khartoum.

“Our goal here in Sudan as it is everywhere else work to build strong local community based organization through engaged partnerships. Our purpose in being here now is to initiate a significant ramping up of Oxfam America’s presence here in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region.”

“I am very proud of the work Oxfam America is doing in Darfur,” said Offenheiser.

“However, the environment here can be very challenging and there is a real need for better access to affected people and improve working environment for the humanitarian actors including security situation with kidnapped aid workers stayed for more than 100 days without being released,” he further added.

He also said that Oxfam America, which is in the region since 2005, plans to increase its work to help 450,000 people in the next year.

Oxfam Great Britain was among the evicted NGOs last March. The British branch of the group provided 400,000 Darfuri with vital humanitarian and development aid, including clean water and sanitation on a daily basis.

(ST)