UN aid mission to Darfur, Sudan delayed 2nd time – BBC

LONDON, April 20, 2004 (Dow Jones) — A crucial aid mission to the troubled western Darfur region in Sudan has been delayed for a second time, reports the BBC on its Web site, citing U.N. officials.

The Sudanese authorities said the relief effort had to be postponed because of security concerns.

But correspondents say U.N. officials privately blame the delay on criticism of Khartoum’s policy in Darfur by the U.N. emergency relief coordinator.

Khartoum is accused of supporting “ethnic cleansing” by Arab militias creating a huge humanitarian crisis.

Relief coordinator Jan Egeland said villages were being looted and burnt down and food and seed supplies destroyed in a “scorched earth” policy.

But the U.N. official refused to criticize Khartoum over the latest postponement.

“If the government does their bit and we do our bit, we can still save lives,” Egeland told AFP news agency.

He was due to accompany the aid, but is now unable to go because of other commitments.

The mission has now been rescheduled for next week.

U.N. officials have described the situation in Darfur as the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world today”.

Around 10,000 people believed to have died in more than a year of fighting. And one million people are believed to have fled their homes and are displaced in Darfur – well above earlier estimates of around 700,000.