EU dedicates $11m for development and humanitarian needs in South Darfur
November 5, 2014 (NYALA) – The European Union (EU) will donate $11 million to support development projects and humanitarian assistance in South Darfur state, EU ambassador to Sudan Tomas Ulicny announced on Wednesday .
He said that the visits of the EU officials and diplomats to Darfur allow them to assess the humanitarian situation and development needs, adding it also contribute to confidence building between the European officials and Darfur authorities to achieve peace and stability in western Sudan.
Khartoum-based European diplomats from France, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain are visiting South Darfur state where they meet the governor and Darfur regional authority for talks on political, development and humanitarian areas.
The EU delegation led by Ulicny will also inspect EU funded projects in the areas of water sanitation, basic health services, food supply, democracy and human rights and education.
The European diplomats visited EU funded projects in internally displaced camps (IDP) camps and host communities in South Darfur State. They also interacted with children at the Hay El Nahda Basic School for Boys , Nyala, according to a statement from UNICEF-Sudan on its Facebook page.
“With funds from the EU, UNICEF, State authorities and NGOs will train 2,000 teachers, 450 headmasters and benefit 100,000 students across East and South Darfur including students from the Hay El Nahda Boys School,” said UNICEF.
Ulicny called on the South Darfur government to achieve security and stability in the state in order to pave the way for the implementation of development projects related to basic health services and food supplies in addition to education and food security issues in the IDPs camps.
He further called to clear the arrears of teachers salaries in the state and to conduct a genuine national dialogue involving all the conflicting parties in the region.
Gardoud, from his side, welcomed the visiting delegation and praised the efforts of the EU countries to support peace and stability pointing to the European support for the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
He further said the security situation in the state is stable enough to implement development projects adding that many displaced persons returned to their villages, calling to provide the villagers with basic services and infrastructure projects.
Since last July, the government of South Darfur state imposed an indefinite emergency order, including a curfew in the capital Nyala from 7pm to 6am.
Armed guns used to assault banks and business stores in the state capital, besides attacks on civilian and commercial convoys.
(ST)