UN, partners, Sudan govt to continue aid after dozens of NGOs closed

Humanitarian organisations are working with the Sudanese government to ensure that life-saving activities continue uninterrupted and that people receiving assistance are not affected by the deregistration of more than 50 national NGOs by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) Registrar General.

Government decisions issued on November 21 and 24 cancelled the registration of the Sudanese NGOs, appropriated their assets and property, and froze their bank accounts both in and outside the country.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development clarified in a press statement that the decisions were issued because the national NGOs involved had committed violations with regards to registration, funding, and technical agreements.

The registration of at least 32 of the NGOs was revoked because of their ties to the regime of ousted President Omar Al Bashir.

On November 28, Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Council of Ministers decided to disband the National Congress Party established and to cancel the infamous Public Order laws.

Protests

A number of affected NGOs will take legal action to overturn the federal HAC decision, the UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan stated in its latest Situation Report.

The affected organisations have written a memorandum of protest requesting the immediate nullification of the HAC Registrar’s decision, an investigation into the alleged violations to allow them to defend their reputation and programmes, a revision of the 2006 Organisation of Voluntary and Humanitarian Work Act, and strengthening the role and rights of civil society organisations to enable them to carry out their activities.

Aid

Many of these NGOs have been assisting vulnerable people in various parts of the country.

The South Kordofan department of HAC has appealed to the office of the wali (governor) to allow the NGOs whose registration was revoked to continue their activities in the state.

Earlier, on November 25, the department asked the wali of South Kordofan to exempt the NGO Mubadiroon, allegedly affiliated with Sudan’s Islamic movement.

The UN and its partners will request HAC support in expediting new technical agreements, should they be needed.

If necessary, to ensure continuity of assistance to people in need during this period, the UN will also request international NGOs be allowed to directly implement affected programmes, while working on longer-term solutions, OCHA states.

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