UN praises Sudan for facilitating WFP humanitarian visit to South Kordofan
October 27, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Gwi-Yeop Son, praised the Sudanese transitional government for facilitating the visit of the World Food Programme (WFP) chief to the Nuba Mountains area of South Kordofan.
David Beasley visited the rebel-held key town of Kauda of South Kordofan State on 23 October for the first time since the resumption of armed conflict in June 2011.
In a tweet posted after the visit, Beasley described his visit as “the 1st UN humanitarian mission into Kauda, South Kordofan in 8 years”.
“The Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Gwi-Yeop Son, would like to commend the Government of Sudan, Government of South Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on their extraordinary cooperation to facilitate the visit of David Beasley, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), to Kauda (…),” said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
Son called on the Sudanese parties to enhance cooperation to enable unfettered humanitarian access to the affected areas of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.
The government and the armed rebel groups signed last September a confidence-building agreement in Juba providing to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the rebel-held areas in the country.
The government and the armed groups say they are committed to reaching a last peace agreement to settle the root causes of the conflicts in the Two Areas and Darfur.
However, the mediation suspended the discussions between the government and SPLM-N al Hilu delegations on the declaration of principles until 21 November as the parties failed to agree on the inclusion of the secular state in the peace process.
Sudanese Prime minister Abdallah Hamdok, in a tweet about the visit posted on 23 October said that the facilitation of Beasley’s visit was in line with the slogan’s of the Sudanese revolution: Freedom, Peace and Justice.
” Time has come to say that peace branches are growing in war zones,” he added.
The UN humanitarian coordinator encouraged the transitional government and other parties to facilitate humanitarian access across Sudan including to civilians in conflict-affected areas.
It is not clear if the UN aid workers will seek to reach civilians in Jebel Marra area of Darfur as the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur refuse to take part in the peace process and its fighters clash sporadically with the government forces there.
The statement said donors have contributed US$561.5 million to the Humanitarian Response Plan of $1.1 billion.
Also, the UN and humanitarian partners provided some form of assistance to 4.3 million people in Sudan.
(ST)