UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan lauds WFP access to Nuba Mountains

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has welcomed the first UN humanitarian mission to the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan in more than eight years.

In a statement on Sunday, Humanitarian Coordinator Gwi-Yeop Son commends the governments of Sudan and South Sudan, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu) on “their extraordinary cooperation” to facilitate the visit of David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) to the rebel-controlled area of Kauda in the Nuba Mountains.

She urges the parties “to continue working in a spirit of cooperation to enable unfettered humanitarian access to the affected areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile”.

Son further encourages the Sudanese government and other parties “to facilitate unhindered, principled and timely humanitarian access across Sudan including to civilians in conflict-affected areas”.

She as well expressed “the generosity of donors” who have contributed $ 561.5 million to the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan of $ 1.1 billion. The UN and humanitarian partners provided some form of assistance to more than four million people in the country.

Permission

On Wednesday, Sudan’s Council of Ministers granted permission for the WFP to visit Kauda for the first time in eight years. The Council was also briefed on the state of peace negotiations with the armed movements, that include humanitarian access to the war-torn areas in the country.

Minister of Culture and Information Feisal Mohamed Saleh explained in a press conference that day that the measure came within the framework of facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in all areas of Sudan.

During a public speech at the SPLM-N stronghold in Kauda on Wednesday, El Hilu said that by allowing the visit of the WFP’s Executive Director David Beasly to the area, Sudan’s Sovereign Council sent “a strong message in building trust between the armed movement and the government”.

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