End Darfur attacks, UK urges Sudan
By David White
KHARTOUM, June 09, 2004 (Financial Times) — The UK yesterday demanded immediate steps by Sudan to provide security for the more than 1m people who have fled their homes in the western Darfur region.
Hilary Benn, UK international development secretary, insisted during talks in Sudan that it was up to the government to bring attacks by Arab militias on African peasant farming communities under control. Refugees and human rights organisations have accused Sudan government forces of combining with the militias in a joint campaign of destruction following the emergence of two rebel groups in the region last year.
Promising more British humanitarian aid, Mr Benn said the UK would provide funding and seek support from other donors to send a team of United Nations human rights monitors to the region to oversee the situation and look into possible crimes against humanity committed during the past years’ conflict.
The UK has already put up the initial funding for 120 monitors from the African Union to supervise a ceasefire agreed two months ago, which has only partly held. The first batch of ceasefire monitors is in the process of being deployed from the Darfur town of Al-Fashir.
The US is providing logistical support for the monitors and further funding is due from the European Development Fund’s peace support facility.
Mr Benn appealed to other donors to join the Darfur aid effort, three-quarters of which was being borne by the UK, the US and the European Union.
After a donors’ meeting in Geneva last week and the latest $27m (?22m, £15m) in UK funding, UN agencies are still reckoned to be $50m-$70m short of short-term requirements to help people made homeless in Darfur, in what UN officials have described as the world’s biggest current humanitarian crisis.
The danger of disaster has been accentuated by the start of the rainy season, which threatens to make aid supplies by land much more difficult to deliver, expose the lack of adequate shelter for refugees and increase the risk of diseases. UN aid officials in Darfur said contingency plans were being made to air-drop relief supplies but this would require much more funding.
They also warned that locally produced food would remain in short supply until at least October next year. Many people were prevented from harvesting last year’s cereal crops and were unable to plant in time before the rainy season this year. The official said the number at risk from food shortages was likely to increase from 1.2m to 2m.
Mr Benn said he had obtained commitments from Sudanese ministers to clear obstacles to vital supplies and the registration of aid organisations. This followed complaints that 200 tonnes of food and 30 tonnes of medical supplies shipped by the Dutch branch of Médecins sans Frontières had been blocked in Sudanese customs for three months.