South Kordofan sets up coordination boy for humanitarian action
February 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – South Kordofan government Sunday set -up a higher committee for the coordination of humanitarian and development action in the troubled state chaired by the Governor Issa Adam Abakr.
The formation of the committee comes in implementation of a presidential decision to coordinate the humanitarian activities in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan state, said the official news agency SUNA.
After a meeting held in Kadugli with the participation of the state ministries, the Governor Abakr, announced the formation of a technical committee for the humanitarian work chaired by the minister of social affairs and another for the development, besides several other committees for health, education, water, and IDPs.
These technical bodies, which are chaired by the general directors of the concerned ministries, have to facilitate the procedures and the movement of the various aid groups and development organizations to perform their work in the state.
The Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), last December reviewed the guidelines and directives of humanitarian action in the country. The government body removed all the restrictions on the humanitarian access, and limited the ban to the risky conflict areas, for the other areas the aid groups have only to notify their decision before 48 hours.
Later on, Washington disclosed that decision was part of a five-track engagement process with Khartoum to lift the sanctions. The improvement of humanitarian conditions in the Two Areas if confirmed next July will lead to remove sanctions on Sudan definitively.
South Kordofan governor directed the different committees to develop clear polices and plans, and to tighten coordination between foreign aid groups and the United Nations organizations working in the humanitarian and development fields.
The meeting was attended by the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, UN agencies, foreign and national aid and development organizations as well as security and military and police organs.
Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North have failed to reach an agreement on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access. However, the two parties continue to abide by unilateral cessation of hostilities declaration they renews since last year.
According the UN agencies, as of 30 June 2016, the six year conflict in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile displaced around 600,000 civilians.
(ST)