Hungarian Muslims donate vaccines to Sudan

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Oct 4, 2004 (AP) — An organization of Hungarian Muslims said Monday it would donate thousands of doses of hepatitis vaccine to aid Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.

The Hungarian Islam Community said the vaccines, worth 21 million forints (US$105,000; A?86,000), will be flown in refrigerated containers to Khartoum, the Somali capital, later this week and then — with help from the Sudanese government — to the western Darfur region.

“We have made arrangements with Red Crescent officials in Darfur who will distribute the vaccines where they are most needed,” community leader Zoltan Bolek said.

Bolek said his group obtained the vaccines from pharmaceutical companies months ago, but was unable to cover transportation costs. DHL, a shipping company owned by Deutsche Post, the German postal service, offered to deliver the vaccines without charge.

A violent conflict between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels has killed some 50,000 people and displaced some 1.4 million over the past 20 months.