UN relief chief meets with victims of recent violence in southern Sudan

The top United Nations relief official travelled to Southern Sudan today, where he met with some of the thousands of men, women and children who have been displaced by recent violence.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), up to 1,000 people have been killed and over 100,000 uprooted from their homes since January in seven states in Southern Sudan due to the activities of the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and inter-ethnic clashes.

Continuing his five-day visit to Sudan, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator went to Akobo in Jonglei State, where thousands are taking shelter after fleeing recent violence.

Many of those he met told Mr. Holmes of their plight, some of them recounting how they had lost relatives in the violence.

“These men, women and children are obviously in desperate need. Based on what I heard from the families I have spoken to, we urgently need not only increased humanitarian assistance but also action to reconcile differences and stop this cycle of violence,” he stated.

There are currently 24 humanitarian organizations responding to the increasing needs of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 7 of the 10 states of Southern Sudan, OCHA said.

Mr. Holmes also met today with Riek Machar, Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan, with whom he discussed humanitarian needs in the region, especially those in areas affected by ongoing conflict in Jonglei State.

Tomorrow he will travel to Darfur to meet with local leaders and aid workers, as well as visit Zam Zam camp for IDPs in North Darfur.

The UN relief chief will review the humanitarian situation in the areas, some two months after the Government expelled 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and revoked the permits of three local groups after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity.