Sudan to attract most ICRC funds in 2005
GENEVA, Dec 8 (AFP) — Strife-torn Sudan will become the largest focus of aid work for the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2005, while money earmarked for Iraq will fall by almost one third, the agency said.
The ICRC said it would allocate 130.2 million Swiss francs (114 million dollars, 85 million euros) for its operations in Sudan, home to the violent western province of Darfur, next year — a three-fold increase from 2004.
Money earmarked for humanitarian activities across Africa in the coming 12 months is 27 percent higher than this year, at 390.5 million Swiss francs.
The announcement came as the Geneva-based ICRC unveiled its annual appeal for money to fund its humanitarian operations in about 80 countries worldwide next year.
The agency asked international donors for 971.8 million Swiss francs in 2005, up slightly from a total initial appeal for 904.5 million Swiss francs in 2004.
Most of the money would go towards the ICRC’s activities in the field, where it provides emergency relief in conflict areas such as Darfur.
More than 70,000 people have been killed or have died from hunger and disease in the region since fighting flared in February 2003 between Sudanese government and rebel forces, while about 1.5 million have been displaced.
“Following a substantial increase, Sudan becomes the largest ICRC operation worldwide,” the agency said in a statement.
ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger told reporters: “The ICRC has succeeded — and this is pretty unique — in having access to pretty well all areas of Darfur.”
About 200 international ICRC aid workers are in Sudan, half of them dealing with Darfur, backed by 1,752 local staff.
Iraq would be the second biggest focus of resources, but the 48.9 million Swiss francs projected for activities in the war-wracked country for 2005 was down 30 percent from this year, the agency said.
Escalating violence in Iraq has forced the ICRC to pull its international staff out of the country, but the agency’s local workers continue to provide relief and visit prisoners, while foreign employees also make short trips.
“We don’t feel the security situation has improved, and that’s why at present we can’t envisage any extensions of our activities,” Kellenberger said.
Israel and the occupied territories were third on the budgetary list of operations, followed by Afghanistan (news – web sites) and Liberia, a similar line-up to 2004.
Kellenberger stressed the organisation’s neutrality in its work.
“The ICRC believes that in the long run this approach offers the best chance to obtain worldwide access to all victims of armed conflict and internal violence and to provide them with protection and assistance,” he said.
That approach had paid dividends in Darfur, where ICRC staff were talking to the government, two rebel groups, and Arab militia, to keep aid flowing to remote villages, the Red Cross chief added.
On top of the annual budget request, the ICRC typically launches emergency appeals in response to sudden crises.