Sudan says relief organizations can enter Darfur after notifying authorities
KHARTOUM, Sudan, June 03, 2004 (AP) — Sudan said relief organizations are now free to enter the troubled western Darfur region after notifying authorities, the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry said Wednesday.
The announcement, a change from rules set up in May that required first applying for travel authorization, was apparently part of Sudan ‘s efforts to streamline humanitarian aid and a response to complaints of delays and lack of full cooperation from the government.
“Measures for granting entry visa to Sudan within 48 hours of submission of application should continue and no travel authorization to Darfur is demanded, only a notification is requested,” said the statement faxed to The Associated Press by the ministry’s technical committee, which had been formed to facilitate humanitarian action in Darfur.
Western relief organizations and governments, including the U.S. administration, have complained of delays and of a lack of full cooperation for delivery of relief to some one million people in Western Sudan before the rainy season lands in full force in a few weeks.
The statement said the new committee would facilitate “all civil aviation measures and flights procedures” to Sudan and the Darfur region and meet daily to address requests for the importation of communication equipment.
“All measures and procedures related to relief and relief work are to be facilitated, including (importation of) cars, equipment and machinery, in accordance with the programs agreed upon with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,” the release said.
The statement said Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ibrahim Hamid met Wednesday with senior United Nations officials in Khartoum to review the new measures.
It said they were satisfied that the current available food in Darfur would cover the region’s needs until October.
Thousands of people in Darfur are believed to have been killed since early 2003 when rebels began fighting for autonomy and greater state aid. The conflict has also displaced about 900,000 refugees in Darfur’s three states, and another 100,000 have fled into neighboring Chad.