UN official: Security situation in Darfur hurting relief efforts

By MOHAMED OSMAN, Associated Press Writer

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Oct 13, 2004 (AP) — A U.N. official warned Tuesday that the deteriorating security situation in Sudan’s western Darfur region, especially attacks on U.N. and aid workers, will hinder the delivery of aid to the most needy.

A displaced Sudanese pregnant mother embraces her daughter at Kalma camp near Nyala south Darfur October 7, 2004. The mother said she was a victim of rape by Janjaweed, Arab militia members.

The warning came two days after two workers for Save the Children — one from Scotland, the other from Sudan — were killed in a land mine explosion in north Darfur.

“Such incidents will have serious repercussions on the humanitarian situation,” said Radhia Achouri, spokesperson for the top U.N. envoy to Sudan. “We are very concerned.”

In a statement Monday, the office of the special U.N. representative for Sudan said it had suspended road movement in the affected areas of northwest Darfur.

More than 50,000 people have been killed in Darfur and another 1.4 million have been driven from their homes since February 2003.

Originally a clash between African farmers and Arab nomads, the conflict has grown into a counterinsurgency in which pro-government Arab militia have raped, killed and burned the villages of their enemy. The government denies allegations that it supports the Arab militia.

Achouri said that continued fighting will make it increasingly difficult to help the people affected by the conflict.

The Save the Children employees _ Rafe Bullick, 34, a program manager from Scotland, and Nourredine Issa Tayeb, 41, a water engineer from Sudan _ were killed when their vehicle struck an anti-tank mine in the Ummbaro area, the aid group said on its Web site.

“This incident is a new element,” Achouri said. “We used to have attacks on relief convoys, looting and other incidents. But … we have yet to know whether this explosive was there a long time ago or whether it was newly planted there.”