Lobbies: Millions at risk of death in Darfur

Human rights lobby groups have warned that millions of people in Darfur were at risk of dying of hunger and disease unless the expelled aid organisations were allowed to resume operations.

The 19 lobby groups, led by Amnesty International, at the same time appealed to the Sudan Government to stop the harassment and intimidation of the aid workers as they went about their humanitarian activities.

Warrant of arrest

The Sudanese Government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir shut down the operations of 16 aid organisations on March 4, following the issue by the International Criminal Court of a warrant of arrest against him.

“The Sudanese Government authorities must stop punishing its own people in retaliation against the warrant of arrest,” said Ms Miriam Kahiga of Amnesty International.

She went on: “The decision taken by this government is unfair as it affects the most vulnerable in the society.”

The UN estimates that about 4.7 million people will be affected by the decision to expel aid workers from the country.

Ms Kahiga said that almost a month after the aid groups were expelled, the Sudanese Government had not taken measures to ensure that the civilians in Darfur will not die from thirst, hunger and disease.

We are alarmed

“We are alarmed by reports that the Sudanese Government intends to expel all aid organisations within a year. We ask them to rescind this decision,” she said.

And they appealed to the African Union, through its Peace and Security Council, to act swiftly to avert a humanitarian disaster in the region.

Other lobby groups that are pressing for the reinstatement of aid organisations include East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network from South Africa, Access to Justice (Nigeria), Release Political Prisoners (Kenya), Educational Centre for Women in Democracy (Kenya) and Partnership for Justice (Nigeria).