UN relief chief voices concern over Sudan leader’s call for ‘Sudanization’ of aid

The top United Nations humanitarian official said he has been “taken by surprise” over media reports today that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has called for all international aid groups to leave the vast African nation within one year.

The reports come less than two weeks after Sudan ordered the expulsion of 13 major international aid organizations, which assist nearly 5 million people in the war-torn Darfur region. The decision to eject these groups came immediately after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on 4 March for President Al-Bashir for alleged crimes committed in the war-torn region.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said today that his office has yet to receive any clarification regarding Mr. Al-Bashir’s statements today.

“I think our position will clearly be that this decision is not appropriate and it’s a decision which should be reversed,” the UN official told reporters in New York.

“The relief operation is already heavily ‘Sudan-ized,’” he said, pointing out that 13,000 out of the 14,000 relief workers in Darfur are Sudanese.

While the UN is happy for Sudan to play a larger part in assisting those in need “in principle,” Mr. Holmes stressed that “it needs to be done in a practical way.”

Joint UN-Government missions are under way to assess critical gaps in aid and are expected to return to the capital, Khartoum, this Wednesday, he said.

Mr. Holmes, who also serves as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted that significant effects of the aid groups’ expulsion will not be visible in Darfur in the extreme short-term given the level of aid provided in the past.

“But over time, it will have a dramatic impact if we’re not able to fill the gaps” in areas such as water and sanitation, treating disease outbreaks and food distribution, he said.

The Under-Secretary-General expressed concern over meningitis cases in some camps, voicing hope that a vaccination campaign targeting 100,000 people can be carried out by some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) still operating in Darfur.

He said progress has been made in the UN’s talks with the Government regarding arrangements for the departure of staff members of expelled aid groups as well as the transfer of assets.

“There has been a degree of cooperation and pragmatic dealing which has enabled things to work a little bit better on the ground,” with international staff being given extra time to remain and handle issues pertaining to national workers, among other tasks, Mr. Holmes said.

“The Government has assured us that they remain committed – despite this decision and the way in which it was carried out – that they do remain committed to the previous agreements they had with us about the facilitation of humanitarian assistance,” he said.