U.S. and European media

April 21, 2023

Christian Science Monitor: Without aid, Darfuris go hungry. During his visit to Sudan last week, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D) of Massachusetts visited the conflict-ridden region of Darfur, calling it a "humanitarian tragedy" that remains a "high priority." More than a month and a half after 13 major international aid agencies were expelled from Sudan for allegedly spying on the government, the situation on the ground is ever more grim in a region that was - before the expulsions - home to the world's largest humanitarian aid effort. "The impact of the expulsions is already being felt across Darfur, but is likely to get even worse in the coming months," wrote Alun McDonald, of the British arm of Oxfam International, in a blog posting last Friday. "One of the largest humanitarian crises in the world could get even worse."

NPR: Kerry Offers Details On Sudan Aid Deal. Some humanitarian aid may be restored in Darfur more than a month after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir expelled 13 international aid groups, Sen. John Kerry said Monday. The Sudanese Embassy in Washington says the aid groups expelled from Sudan will not be permitted back in. Sudan will let in other groups, however. "In some cases, some of the very same people will go back, wearing a different title, but providing the same service. ... They will work it out," Kerry (D-MA) tells NPR's Robert Siegel. "The key is to get the humanitarian assistance back as fast as possible up to 100 percent capacity, and under the agreement there is a joint evaluation by the United States and the government of Sudan."

Agence France-Presse: Fire damages UN headquarters in Darfur. A fire has spread through the headquarters of the joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) with no reports of casualties, it said on Monday. The fire broke out at around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday in a supply area of the headquarters, about 10 metres (yards) away from telecommunication antennas, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told AFP. He said the fire was probably caused by a short-circuit but it had yet to be confirmed. "There is some damage to the equipment, but fortunately no deaths or injuries," Mezni said, estimating the damage at five million dollars.

Reuters: Darfur kidnappers see solution through Chad talks. One of the kidnappers holding two foreign aid workers snatched in Sudan's Darfur region said on Tuesday he expected a peaceful resolution within days after the government of neighbouring Chad joined negotiations. "We are optimistic that this case will be solved very soon and the two hostages will be released," the unidentified man told Reuters via satellite phone. He said a delegation from his group, calling itself the Freedom Eagles of Africa, would arrive in Chad on either Tuesday or Wednesday for direct talks with a senior official.

The following piece by Mia Farrow appeared on the Huffington Post.

My Hunger Strike for Darfur

On April 27th I will begin a fast of water only in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.

The Darfur crisis deepened on March 4th when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president President Omar al-Bashir for his essential role in the murder, rape, torture and displacement of millions. Al-Bashir retaliated immediately by expelling thirteen key international aid agencies from Sudan, including Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, CARE, Oxfam and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) along with three highly respected Sudanese agencies.

Sudanese U.N. Ambassador Abdalhaleem claimed his government would have no problem filling in any gaps created by the expulsions. But U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes spoke honestly about the desperate realities: "We do not, as the U.N. system, the NGOs do not, and the Sudanese government does not have the capacity to replace all the activities that have been going on. This is a decision which is likely to have a major impact on millions of people in Darfur who are in need on a daily basis, of life-saving humanitarian assistance." According to the UN, as of this May more than a million people will be without food aid, medical assistance, and drinkable water.

The United Nations humanitarian agencies issued their joint plea; "The suspended NGOs account for more than half of the capacity for the aid operation in Darfur. If the life-saving assistance these agencies were providing is not restored shortly, it will have immediate, lasting and profound impacts on the well being of millions of Sudanese citizens. These organizations provide a lifeline to 4.7 million people."

I undertake this fast in the heartfelt hope that world leaders who know what is just and right will call upon the Government of Sudan to urgently readmit all of the expelled agencies or otherwise insure that the gap is filled, giving aid workers unimpeded access to the populations before they begin to die in numbers that could dwarf the Rwandan genocide. I also call upon President Obama and other leaders with influence to help build a credible peace process that can end the suffering in Darfur.

I hope human rights advocates and citizens of conscience around the world will join me in some form of fasting, even if for one day. And when I can no longer continue, I pray another will take my place, and another-- until finally there is justice and peace for Darfur's people

 
The Darfur Daily News is a service of the Save Darfur Coalition. To subscribe to the Daily News, please email [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact Ashley Roberts at (202) 478-6181, or [email protected].