Arab League to meet July 26 to discuss Darfur relief aid

June 6, 2006 (CAIRO) — The Arab League called Tuesday for a region-wide meeting next month in Cairo to seek ways to provide aid to Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.

The 22-member states of the Arab League said the meeting July 26 will bring together member countries, aid groups and others to discuss ways of ending the inhumane conditions in Darfur.

The conflict in Darfur centers on decades-long tensions over land and water, which erupted in early 2003 when rebel groups made up of ethnic Africans rose up against the Arab-led Khartoum government.

The government is accused of responding by unleashing Arab militias known as the janjaweed who have been accused of some of the worst atrocities – but it denies any involvement. At least 180,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million have fled their homes, many to neighboring countries whose stability has been threatened by Darfur’s chaos.

UNICEF, which has received only 16% of the funding it requested for Darfur this year, has stopped some educational programs, cut back on supplies for its childhood malnutrition programs and stopped measles vaccinations for children.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese government told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that it would not give immediate approval for U.N. peacekeepers for Darfur. But it said it was willing to talk about the step, which is seen as key to a solution in the restive western region.

(ST/AP)