Red Cross reduces activities in Darfur

Nov 21, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced here Monday that it would reduce activities in some areas in Sudan’s western region of Darfur due to deterioration of security.

The ICRC said in a statement that it would apply these procedures in areas of Silei’a and south of al-Gineina, capital of Western Darfur State. The mission conditioned its return to a full job in the areas to security guarantees by the Darfur conflicting sides.

The statement also confirmed that its mission in other areas of Darfur has not been affected and that it reviews the security situation there daily, describing the situation in many areas as unstable and unsafe.

The ICRC pointed out that confrontations between the Darfur conflicting sides as well as repeated actions of looting against the civilians and the aid agencies working in the region had led to an increasing waves of displacement and restriction of the people in some areas of Darfur.

Rebels took up arms in Sudan’s arid Darfur region in February 2003, accusing the government of neglect. About 180,000 people have been killed in the conflict and several million more fled their homes.

(Xinhua)