Lifting of sanctions enables foreign aid groups to enter Sudan: COR
October 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Commission Of Refugees (COR) Wednesday said the lifting of U.S. sanctions would positively impact on the refugee situation saying it will allow international aid groups to enter the country.
The deputy refugee commissioner Adel Daffallah told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) that donor countries would meet their obligations towards the refugees after the lifting of the economic embargo.
He pointed to the resumption of international banking transactions, saying the sanctions had in the past prevented money transfer to Sudan.
The deputy commissioner added that foreign aid groups would enter Sudan to provide support for the refugees in the country.
“These aid groups have the potential to provide great services for [refugee] camps and to open doors for employment [opportunities],” he said
Last August, Sudan’s commissioner of refugees Hamad al-Gizouli expressed concern over the growing number of refugees in the country, especially those coming from South Sudan.
He pointed to the steady increase in the number of refugees, saying Sudan now hosts 2,000,000 refugees, including 1,300,000 refugees from South Sudan.
He pointed out that there is an urgent need to improve the services rendered to the refugees, saying the international community covers only 22% of the actual need of refugees.
According to the UN, Sudan hosts 110,000 Eritrean refugees, 400,000 South Sudanese refugees and more than 100,000 Syrian refugees.
Immediately after the first arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudan’s president Omer al-Bashir in March 2009, Sudan expelled 13 aid groups from Darfur accusing it of collaborating with the war crime courts.
Since then, the activities of foreign aid group in Darfur are strictly controlled and more organizations were evicted through the years.
Sudan refuses to allow new aid groups to work in the region.
The government also banned the access of foreign groups to the rebel-held areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile as well as the establishment of camps for the displaced civilians, stressing the experience of Darfur camps should not be repeated in the two states.
(ST)