Fighting forces UN to evacuate seven staff from South Darfur, Sudan

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today evacuated seven of its staff members to South Darfur’s capital, Nyala, from the Sharia area after fighting broke out there between the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Sudanese government forces.

The fighting has continued and clashes have also taken place in areas of Jabal Marra in central Darfur, according to UNMIS.

In another development, the mission reported that a person reported missing following yesterday’s helicopter crash in Jabal Marra had been later confirmed dead. None of the injured passengers, who were on a humanitarian mission when the accident occurred, had to be taken to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan has helped the Government of National Unity launch a project under its Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals programme encouraging them to volunteer their expertise for short periods.

The programme will encourage various Sudanese institutions to bring interested expatriate Sudanese professionals to Sudan to share their skills and expertise for up to eight-week periods. UNDP will cover the expatriates’ travel expenses and provide a living allowance in Sudan.

First implemented in Turkey in 1977, the programme has since been expanded to include more than 25 countries, including India, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam, Lebanon, Syria, Senegal, and Nigeria.