Red Cross suspension ‘death sentence for Darfur’: Omda

The displaced of Darfur have strongly condemned the suspension of the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the Sudanese government on Saturday. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, omda Ahmed Ateem, coordinator of the North Darfur camps, accused the government of continuing genocide in the region, “not by fighter jets and militias, but slowly this time, by denying medication, food, and other services provided by the Red Cross”. He referred also to the expulsion of 13 relief organisations from Darfur in 2009, “which led to a humanitarian crisis in the camps”. According to Ateem, the suspension of the work of the Red Cross in Sudan “means a collective death sentence for Darfur. The Khartoum regime is now using hunger, deprivation, and disease as a weapon to dismantle the camps, which are a living evidence of the crimes in Darfur”. He called on the international community, the UN Security Council, human rights defenders, and humanitarian organisations to “break their silence and solidly stand against this conspiracy. We ask them to pressure the Khartoum regime to allow the Red Cross to resume its activities, as well as the return of the organisations expelled earlier. They were expelled because they were saving lives of unarmed civilians.” The coordinator of the Central Darfur camps also described the suspension of the Red Cross activities in Sudan as genocide. He stressed to Radio Dabanga that the suspension came within the framework of the “Khartoum regime’s policy to systematically dismantle the camps. This started with the expulsion of the foreign organisations in 2009, and the ensuing ‘Sudanisation of relief services’.” “The Red Cross has played a crucial role in saving the lives of many people in Sudan in general, and the Darfur camps in particular, by providing services in the field of medicines, water, food, and education, especially for the children. Now, after the suspension of the Red Cross activities in Sudan, only the World Food Programme remains,” the coordinator stated. The Central Darfur camps coordinator demanded from the UN and the Security Council to “activate all resolutions concerning humanitarian work issued against Sudan by compelling the Khartoum regime to allow access for humanitarian aid and the return of the expelled the organisations, to “save the lives of citizens in Sudan”. The Red Cross activities were suspended as of Saturday after the organisation refused to comply with the new terms of the Sudanese authorities. The terms stipulate that the budget and funds of the Red Cross offices should be put at the disposal of the Sudanese Red Crescent. The ICRC also is not to undertake any activity on the ground before informing the Sudanese authorities about the kind, location and the timing of the activity. The head of the ICRC office in Khartoum, Ramallah Gureishi, called the new conditions set by the authorities as “unfair and unacceptable”, pointing out that all Red Cross offices throughout the world are working independently from the authorities of the countries where they operate. John Christopher Sundu, the head of the Red Cross delegation in Sudan, reported that the ICRC is currently in dialogue with the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Humanitarian Aid Commission to reach a quick settlement for the case. He explained that the organisation’s staff consists of more than 700 national and foreign employees. More than 1.5 million people in Sudan have benefited from Red Cross’ services in 2013. The humanitarian situation in the camps for the displaced seriously deteriorated after Sudan expelled 13 foreign organisations operating in Darfur. The expulsion came as a response to the International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant for President Omar Al Bashir in 2009. File photo: A patient being examined by an ICRC specialist in Khartoum (Salma Ismail/ICRC) Related:Red Cross hopes to resume work in Sudan ‘soon’ (2 February 2014) Sudan suspends all Red Cross activities (31 January 2014)Red Cross facilitates release of troops in Darfur (5 January 2014)