The Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, announced yesterday in Khartoum that it is “not too late” to provide aid to residents in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Both areas witness heavy armed clashes since the beginning of the conflicts in June last year.
Cousin held talks with the Sudanese Vice President, Ali Osman Taha, the Minister of Interior Ibrahim Mahmoud Ahmed and other Sudanese officials. The discussions were especially focused on an agreement signed this month in line with a ‘tripartite proposal’ on relief by the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Arab League. According to this agreement Khartoum will allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to South Kordofan and Blue Nile, including to rebel-controlled areas.
The proposal by the UN, AU and the Arab League includes assessing the needs in the affected areas before taking up on the WFP aid distribution. So far the WFP was unable to enter areas controlled by rebels. However, it confirmed the distribution of four thousand tons of food to 110.000 people in areas controlled by Khartoum since the outbreak of the conflict.
After the meeting, Cousin told reporters that “The government has committed to supporting the [agreement] and working out the logistics and providing that space and that opportunity for us to serve those in need.” She added that in all of her meetings, “it was possible to express the urgent need to complete preparations and logistics and start that distribution of aids operations.”
The UN expressed its concern about the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, which they say affected around 650 thousand people. After her visit to Khartoum, Ertharin Cousin will fly to South Sudan.
Photo by Radio Tamazuj: People in Aldo, South Kordofan line up for a non-UN food distribution in SPLA-held territory.