Annan calls for more aid for Sudan’s troubled Darfur region
LONDON, Oct 20 (AFP) — UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is appealing for donors to urgently help meet a shortfall of 200 million dollars needed for its humanitarian program in the war-torn western Darfur region of Sudan.
During a visit to London Tuesday, Annan said it was “important that we get the necessary resources to carry on our humanitarian program” in Darfur, where a 20-month civil war has killed an estimated 70,000 people and displaced another 1.5 million.
“We are about a little over 200 million dollars short and I would appeal to all governments with capacity to help, and help urgently,” Annan said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to a transcript of the remarks.
Following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Annan made a similar plea, according to transcripts of his remarks.
“We need to provide humanitarian assistance in the quantities that are required. Not just give them food and shelter, but also the non-food items; health, sanitation and other aspects,” Annan said.
“On the security side, every effort is being made to send in the African (Union) monitors and protective force and I think their presence will also make quite a lot of difference,” Annan said.
“In the meantime we are sending in additional humanitarian workers and I think the eyes and ears of the international community, that many people would also help dissuade the attacks,” he said.
“So, I think on the security side we need to do everything and give the African Union the support to go in there. And we should press the parties, the government and the rebels, to go back to the table and discuss seriously, in the spirit of compromise, to find a political solution,” Annan contnued.
International efforts have been underway for months to end the civil war in Darfur which the United Nations considers the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Arab government in Khartoum has been accused of abetting massacres by its proxy militias and not doing enough to protect civilians, with the United States and some rights groups even talking of genocide in Darfur.