‘Darfur displaced prefer aid to development’: Sudanese official

The Sudanese government is determined to reduce the provision of food aid to the displaced people in Darfur, according to the head of the national Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC).

Humanitarian Aid Commisioner Ahmed Mohamed Adam accused the displaced living in the 133 Darfur camps of rejecting development in the region by insisting on the continuation of food distribution.

"For 11 years, the displaced in the camps have been enjoying three free meals daily instead of exerting efforts to realise development in the region," he told the press in Khartoum on Monday, following a meeting with the parliamentary Social Affairs Committee. 

He also accused the displaced of misusing the food rations cards. "We found one displaced family that owned 52 cards."

The HAC director accused unnamed entities of resisting relief reduction "for well-known reasons".

$5.40 per month

Omda Ahmed Ateem, coordinator of the North Darfur camps and senior member of the Darfur Displaced and Refugees Association responded to the allegations of the HAC official by saying that "the government is now spreading new lies to carry out its old plans to dismantle the camps at any price. 

"The commissioner’s statements have nothing to do with the truth," he stressed. "If the displaced would enjoy three free meals a day, why would they expose themselves to assaults, killings, rapes and kidnaps outside the camps in search of food and firewood". 

Most of the displaced monthly receive food aid amounting to SDG33 ($5.40) each, "which is by far not enough to cover their needs".      

Ateem said that "all displaced in Darfur know well that the Sudanese government has expelled most of the international organisations from the region to implement its  well-thought out plans to cleanse more than half of the Darfur population, in particular the displaced in the camps".