Sudan lifts restrictions on NGOs

All obstacles, complications, and procedures, which the ousted Al Bashir regime put in place to obstruct the work of humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies in Sudan, have been removed.

This was announced by El Hadi Dawelbeit, member of the Joint Committee on Opening Humanitarian Tracks, that was set up by the Sudanese government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance.

Humanitarian organisations and UN agencies no longer have to apply for authorisation of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) and the Military Intelligence via the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission. Notifying the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) is sufficient. There will no longer be inspections of operations of humanitarian organisations and UN agencies.

Dawelbeit told Radio Dabanga that the mission of the Joint Committee is to open humanitarian tracks, deliver aid to those affected, provide guarantees, protection, security, and safety to humanitarian organisations and UN agencies, and coordinate between state governments and these humanitarian organisations.

He pointed out that the committee formed sub-committees in Central and South Darfur so that complaints from humanitarian organisations can be filed. The Joint Committee will visit North, West, and East Darfur next week to form sub-committees there.

In October last year, the World Food Programma was granted access to the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan by the Sudanese government for the first time in eight years.

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