Sudan bans humanitarian access to Kalma camp in Darfur
August 6, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities are still barring humanitarian assistance to Kalma in south Darfur following last week clashes in the troubled camp.
In its daily briefing of Thursday the peacekeeping mission confirmed the aid blockade saying that “aid groups still await permission to enter the camp.” The UNAMID also reported that IDPs were exposed to heavy rainfall “increasing fears of health risks”.
Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Friday confirmed the denial of humanitarian worker access to the camp on Friday.
“There is still no access. And, I will again check with my colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (…) Clearly, we would wish that to change.”
People from Kalma reached this week by Sudan Tribune said residents inside the camp are suffering from lack of food. They also said those who dare to quit the camp to bring something for their children are not allowed to re-enter again.
The Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says they have not had access to Kalma camp since 2 August. “No humanitarian access has been granted so far in eastern Jebel Marra since February 2010” Nesirky further added.
However, the UNAMID said Sudanese authorities lifted a ban on UN flights to Ed Daein, Muhejeria and Sheria, South Darfur, which have been in place since June.
The head of the government Humanitarian Aid Commission in South Darfur, Jamal Youssef, denied, in statements to Reuters, preventing aid workers from accessing Kalma camp. He said most people had left for villages north and east of the camp, where they had allowed aid agencies to access.
But Farhan Haq, a UN spokesperson from New York, refuted Youssef’s statements saying those villages had some people who fled Kalma but many others who had not.
The head of the peacekeeping mission Ibrahim Gambari urged Khartoum yesterday to drop its demand to handover six residents from Kalma saying such move will inflame the situation in the camp and lead to more violence.
The United Nations seek to de-escalate the growing tension in Kalma and other IDPs camps in the restive region because it believe such situation would impact negatively the ongoing efforts in Doha to settle the seven year conflict.
Officials from Sudanese government and UN are expected to tackle on Saturday the humanitarian situation in South Darfur State.
(ST)
telfajbago
Sudan bans humanitarian access to Klama camp in Darfur
What is happening to day in Kalam is continuation of genocide through starving the IDPs to death by barring them to get access to any food, medication or any thing. The strange part of it is that, several sources had reported the incident since the beginning of this month, but until now, nobody raising an eye brow to the regime’s crime to subjugate kalma IDP to starvation until death as punishment. Furthermore, as the media speak about kalma several IDPs camp of Darfur were cordoned by Janjaweed Militias, roaming the camps terrorizing the IDPs to make them leave the camps while their security agents waiting Kilometers a way from the camps, to take them to unidentified areas. In addition to, today eastern Jabal Marra facing very harsh conditions as the government barred deliverance of humanitarian aids as well as good materials. Somebody through the phone yesterday said to me that; Lorries carrying items and goods were unloaded in Kidnjeer area by Security forces, while the Lorries were sent back empty to Nyala. Talking to one of the drivers told me “Government representative in Nyala told me if those people up in the Mountains wants these relief aid let them come down here” .
Kur
Sudan bans humanitarian access to Kalma camp in Darfur
This is another genocidal behaviour. Once more, the killers of innocent Darfuris are using food as their weapon of choice to kill the survivors of genocide. Will the world allow this to coninue?
Kur