EU gives 51 mln euros to victims of Sudan conflict

BRUSSELS, Nov 28 (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Sunday it will donate a further 51 million euros ($66.50 million) to help the victims of violence in Sudan, especially those in the conflict-torn Darfur region.

A displaced Sudanese woman carries water October 31, 2004 at the Abushouk camp near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province.

The money is mainly for food, emergency health care and shelter, the European Union’s executive said in a statement.

About 31 million euros will be granted to the Dafur region, one of the poorest areas of Sudan, where a rebellion has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Sudan said on Saturday it had lifted all restrictions on air workers and revoked a state of emergency in Darfur after rebels pulled out from the town of Tawilla, which they occupied last week.

The attacks on Tawilla prompted the World Food Programme to say it would withdraw all its staff from Darfur and freeze all aid operations.

This year, the Commission has donated more than 248 million euros in aid to Sudan, of which about 215 million euros went to the victims of the Darfur crisis.

More than 1.6 million people have been driven from their homes during a 22-month old rebellion and an estimated 70,000 people have died since March from malnutrition and diseases.