Norwegian premier urges countrymen to support Sudan victims

OSLO, July 29, 2004 (dpa) — The worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan is deeply worrying, Norway’s Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said in published remarks Thursday.

Some 50,000 people have been killed and more than 1 million have been displaced in the war-torn region of Darfur in western Sudan. In addition some 2 million people risk starvation.

“I urge the Norwegian people to support the population via relief agencies. So far the response has been insufficient. This is an indication that the general public is not aware of the conflict,” Bondevik told the online edition of the Vart Land newspaper.

The Christian Democratic premier said he would personally contribute funds to the victims.

Norway has previously committed 80 million kroner (11.4 million dollars or 9.5 million euros) for Darfur via the United Nations and relief agencies.