Saudi Arabia sends medical team to Darfur

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug 15, 2004 (UPI) — Saudi Arabia Sunday dispatched a medical team to the troubled Darfur region in western Sudan.

An official statement said the team included general practitioners, internists, radiologists and paramedics to assist more than 1 million refugees who have fled their homes during the 18-month civil strife in the region.

The statement said the assistance for Darfur, in which 50,000 people have been killed, was ordered by King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz.

The oil-rich kingdom had promised $10.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Darfur, but has said it opposes foreign military intervention or international sanctions in Sudan.

The U.N. Security Council has given the Sudanese government until Aug. 31 to end fighting in Darfur or face international sanctions.