E.U. calls for full humanitarian access to Darfur conflict victims

LUXEMBOURG, April 26, 2004 (dpa) — The European Union on Monday voiced its “grave concern” at the situation in Darfur and said the Sudanese government must give humanitarian agencies unrestricted access to victims of the conflict in the region.

Aid agencies must be given “full, unhindered access to the region,” the E.U. said in a statement released by foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

All parties in Darfur must respect a humanitarian ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month and take control of all armed groups in the region, the statement said.

The E.U. appeal came as the United Nations said it was sending a humanitarian mission to Sudan to assess the needs of an estimated 1.2 million victims of the conflict.

Agencies say people in Darfur are in urgent need of food aid. The U.N recently appealed for 115 million dollars to help the region.

Over a million people are believed to have fled the fighting which started over a year ago, while an estimated 10,000 people have been killed.