Sudan suspends local aid groups: official

February 18, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) announced today that it revoked the licenses of an unspecified number of local humanitarian groups.

HAC commissioner Suleiman Abdurrahman said in press statements after a parliamentary hearing that there are 4,200 aid groups in Sudan but only 300 of them are active.

Regarding a decision by his body to expel several foreign aid groups from East Sudan last year, Abdurrahman notedthat they were actually asked to replace “failed” projects they were running with other successful ones.

The Sudanese official stressed that Khartoum has no problem with foreign groups working in the country.

Khartoum has long resisted regional and international demands for it to allow humanitarian access to rebel-held areas in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states despite famine warnings and reports of serious health and malnutrition issues.

The ruling National Congress party fears that allowing aid into the conflict-zones will aid the SPLM-N rebels but this is refuted by advocacy groups who claim the government is trying to force people from their land.

(ST)