Foreign aid groups work in Darfur “unsatisfactory”: official
May 3, 2016 (EL-FASHER) – The deputy governor of North Darfur state Adam al-Nahla said the work of the foreign aid groups active in the state was unsatisfactory and has met only 12% of the targeted needs.
On Tuesday, al-Nahla discussed with the United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Darfur, Emmy Martin, the security, economic and humanitarian situation as well as the IDPs conditions in North Darfur.
He told reporters following the meeting that the two sides agreed to cooperate to carry out the work according to the agreed upon mandate, pointing the government continues to provide all possible facilities for the foreign aid groups.
“However the actual work [of the foreign aid groups] is weak and unsatisfactory”, he said
The governor denied that the authorities has placed restrictions on the movements of any foreign aid group in North Darfur, noting it is the government responsibility to secure the highways and establish security in the conflict areas before allowing aid groups to deliver relief to the needy population.
Al-Nahla acknowledged that the northern part of his state suffers from water shortage due to the large numbers of cattle, saying that is why the herders seek to get water from the farming areas which cause clashes between them and the farmers.
He added that he discussed with Martin ways to provide water in order to end the clashes between the herders and the farmers.
For her part, Martin said she discussed with the governor several issues including the humanitarian situation and the conditions at the IDPs camps in Tawila and Sortoni.
Last December, the Sudanese government suspended Tearfund, an international aid group active in Darfur, accusing it of violating the law and interfering in the internal affairs of the country.
Immediately after the first arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudan’s president Omer al-Bashir in March 2009, Sudan expelled 13 aid groups from Darfur accusing it of collaborating with the war crime courts.
Since then, the activities of foreign aid group in Darfur are strictly controlled and more organizations were evicted through the years.
Sudan refuses to allow new aid groups to work in the region.
The government also banned the access of foreign groups to the rebel-held areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile as well as the establishment of camps for the displaced civilians, stressing the experience of Darfur camps should not be repeated in the two states.