Interview with Kevin Kennedy, outgoing acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan

NAIROBI, Jun 23, 2004 (IRIN) — Kevin Kennedy, is the outgoing acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan. In an interview with IRIN on 20 June, he talked about the humanitarian situation in Darfur, the prospect of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) moving to southern Sudan after a peace agreement has been signed, and the UN’s key areas of concern in Sudan. Below are excerpts:

QUESTION: The United States Agency for International Development [USAID] has predicted that over 300,000 people will die in Darfur over the coming months. Do you share that view?

ANSWER: I have seen these [figures], of course we’ve discussed them with USAID. We’ve not been in a position yet, in terms of monitoring the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, either to confirm or take a different view. We’re working to establish monitoring systems out there. We obviously take this very seriously and we’re looking at the situation closely.

We have about a million people who are very vulnerable and it will require a major effort to prevent this vulnerability from developing into something far worse – whether it be large-scale deaths or susceptibility to disease or just the general despair that comes from living in a hopeless situation where neither your security nor your future are guaranteed.

Q: Is the UN undertaking a review to determine whether what is happening in Darfur constitutes genocide?

A: I can only speak for the humanitarian side of things. Our focus is on humanitarian assistance and getting it there. I know the human rights people are looking into genocide issues. I’ll leave that with them. Our focus is on getting assistance to the people of Darfur.

Q: Has humanitarian access improved?

A: Access has improved somewhat over the last several weeks. Various procedures, [including] restriction requirements that had been imposed have either been eliminated or have been softened. We still continue to have some problems but there has been significant progress made in the last few weeks in terms of visas, travel permits, registration of new NGOs, release of items from customs clearance, and so forth. So that’s been a positive development.

Q: Are visas being granted within 48 hours as promised?

A: Pretty much. I can’t vouch for every visa but in consultation with NGOs and agencies here, people are experiencing very few visa difficulties.

Q: What are the access problems that remain?

A: Security remains a problem. The ceasefire has many holes in it. There are continued activities, certainly by Janjawid and SLA [Sudan Liberation Army] troops. It means that humanitarian organisations have to operate with great caution and care. And of course this insecurity more importantly impacts on the people affected by the crisis.

Part of the issue with access is the capacity of organisations on the ground to reach out and deliver assistance. That capacity is increasing day by day.

Q: What about equipment and medical supplies? There were some reports of medical supplies having to be checked by Khartoum before being let in and also of equipment being held up for several months?

A: I think we [have] resolved most of the equipment problems…Yes, things have been held up in custody for some time. [But] I think we have resolved most of them.

On medical equipment, or more precisely drugs and medicines, we have clarified with the government what their policy is. They are allowing all medicines and drugs in. There are medicines not registered in advance with the government, which is the normal procedure, but the medicines have been allowed to proceed and be distributed. So I think we’ve overcome that hurdle.

Q: Two ceasefires have been signed in Darfur and it seems that neither have been respected. The Janjawid are reported to be continuing to displace and kill people. Is it fair to say that diplomacy in Darfur has failed?

A: Again, my focus is on humanitarian assistance…The ceasefire has certainly reduced the level of [militia or rebel] activity in Darfur in general. However, the conflict continues and obviously there is a lot more work to be done on the political side to reach a long-range solution, which is the only answer to this crisis.

Q: There have been some reports saying there is a famine in Darfur. Is there one, and if not do you expect one?

A: To our knowledge there is no famine in Darfur. I think people need to use that word very carefully. Obviously there are enormous humanitarian needs there. [But] if we’re able to deliver on our current plans in terms of food and non-food assistance, I think we’ll be able to meet the very basic needs of most of the people caught up in the crisis.

Q: Is aid reaching rebel-held areas?

A: In some part. I’m not the military analyst for Darfur and what areas are held by rebels or by government are a bit vague. So there are some areas where it seems that the SLA is there. We are trying to get in there [but] we have to do it in a very safe way. You’re aware of the difficulties we had two weeks ago with 16 UN and NGO international staff detained. We have to make sure that we can proceed safely. But certainly our intent is to deliver assistance and some assistance has gone in.

Q: Some people are saying at the moment that the humanitarian community has done too little, too late for Darfur. Do you share that view?

A: No I don’t share that view. Yes, more could have been done, more can be done at the moment. I think there are a number of factors here. First of all there was a war ongoing and it took the ceasefire to really create the conditions where more assistance can be delivered. Secondly, the restrictions imposed by the government. Initially we were very restricted [in terms of getting] humanitarian staff to the three principal cities and it is only been in the last 60 days or so where we’ve been able to go beyond that.

It’s a collective effort [involving] the government, rebels, the donors, NGOs and UN agencies, so I think we’re making headway now and making up for lost ground.

Q: In Darfur, what is the main focus for the humanitarian community right now?

A: One is making sure we’re prepared for possibly reduced access during the rainy season, which has already begun. That involves the prepositioning of food, non-food and shelter items. Secondly, it is to make sure we are reaching as many people as we possibly can and who haven’t been reached to date. Third [is to do with] camps [that] have sprung up in Darfur. No one likes camps, no one wants to have camps staying around forever. But at the moment there is no alternative. People will not go home until they’re confident that safety and security has been restored, which is certainly not the case at the moment. So our focus is making sure that these camps are organized, in terms of water and sanitation.

Q: Some people have spoken of an ethical dilemma for humanitarian workers in Darfur. By providing assistance to people who have been forcibly displaced, the humanitarian community could be perceived as unwittingly supporting that displacement. Is this an issue for the UN?

A: I don’t think it is. This question comes up in probably every similar type of political/military/humanitarian crisis that results in displacement. What is the alternative? In Darfur at the moment, [displaced] people have a choice of maybe three places to live. They can try to return home, but the protection and safety is not there so they’re not doing that and they’re, I think well advised not to. They can go into areas up into the mountains where there are reportedly people. We haven’t accessed these yet. Or thirdly they can go to camps or clusters of people where there is a potential for some minimal level of protection, security and access to assistance.

Q: Taking a broad look at Sudan – apart from Darfur there has been widespread displacement and looting in the Shilluk Kingdom and widespread looting in Upper Nile. Both the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) have reportedly broken the terms of their cessation of hostilities agreement. Are the Sudanese genuine about peace, are they ready for peace?

A: Let me be very clear, my focus is to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudan.

We’re concerned about a lot of things in Sudan, in answer to your question. Certainly the Darfur crisis is massive, and requires a big response. The problems in Upper Nile, [or] Malakal, that you referred to, are also of great concern to us and we’ve been trying to extend our assistance and access to that area.

You [also] have the whole issue of the potential return of displaced people from north to south and the return of refugees into the country. At least for the UN here we have a lot of work to do and a lot of challenges ahead. Obviously we hope that the parties live up to their agreements and work towards restoring peace and maintaining peace.

Q: It is expected that once a peace agreement has been signed between the SPLM/A and the government, three to four million IDPs may return to their homes. What preparations are being made on the Khartoum side for that mass movement of people?

A: How many IDPs will return to the south and when, is an unknown. We have met with IDP leaders in the north to try to get a sense of that but we haven’t been able to come up with a final figure. We’re working however on the assumption that quite a few people will return and of course in this respect both the government and the SPLM/A have responsibilities [and] have indicated their interest to us and have come up with plans, as to how they see this happening. The UN is working to try to come up with the right kind of framework. We’ve established a joint operations centre in Rumbek, we’ve done the same in Khartoum to look after and try to support this return as best we can.

When people return to the south, they may not find too much there so I don’t know how readily or when people will leave, particularly many of the southerners around the Khartoum area, many of whom have been here for 20 years and have access to schools and many services here.

What may happen, as we’ve seen elsewhere, is people will go back, do some planting, start to reestablish their houses, leave the remainder of their family where they are living here in the north and as conditions get better in the south, bring their families down.

Q: Is the humanitarian community ready for this mass movement of IDPs?

A: We’re getting ready as best we can. This will be the largest movement of people in the world basically, or in that range?so I don’t know how anybody can quite get ready for that.

The focus has been on the Naivasha peace accords and now the Darfur crisis [with] relatively little donor support for return plans to the south, which makes it difficult to do things without the resources to do them. [There has been] a lot of interest and I think our plans are pretty well advanced, particularly in the south which will generally be the receiving end of this migration.

[But] the plans need to be strengthened, the plans need to be improved, more needs to be put in place. We have deployed and trained about ten return teams in the south, or way-stations to be there to monitor and provide assistance. We still have a [long] way to go, however.