Sudanese government to airlift relief to Darfur
KHARTOUM, Apr 12, 2004 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government has decided to airlift relief materials to the war-ravaged Darfur region in the western part of the country, the official Omdurman Radio reported Monday.
The 450 tons of food, clothes and medical drugs, worth 1.5 billion Sudanese dinars (5.6 million US dollars), is aimed at rehabilitation of those affected by conflicts in the three Darfur states, the report quoted Minister of Social Welfare and Development Samia Ahmad Mohamed as saying.
“That relief will be continued in collaboration with civil society organizations and social funds”, the Sudanese minister added.
He said that the Sudanese Zakat Bureau had prepared 20,000 ploughs and large quantities of improved seeds to be distributed to families in the region.
Secretary General of the Zakat Bureau Abdul Gadir Al-Fadni said that a ceasefire agreement reached between the government and rebels in Darfur recently “has paved the way for the delivery of assistance to affected people in the region”.
In a press conference held on Sunday, Al-Fadni urged national organizations and institutions to extend aid to the people of Darfur.
The Sudanese government and western Darfur rebels reached in the Chadian capital N’djiamena last Thursday the 45-day ceasefire agreement which came into effect on Sunday and could be extended in the future.
Under the agreement, both sides pledged to stop all combats to ensure the access of international humanitarian assistance and the safety of relief groups.
The rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement in Darfur had been mounting armed resistance against the government since February 2003, claiming the government had neglected the impoverished region bordering Chad for years.
Clashes escalated after efforts to reach a peace deal failed last December, leaving more than 10,000 people dead and 670,000 others displaced, and forcing hundreds of thousands refugees to seek asylum in neighboring countries.