| Author (Person) | Cronin, David |
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| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.10, No.20, 3.6.04 |
| Publication Date | 03/06/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
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By David Cronin Date: 03/06/04 EU OFFICIALS have complained of "a marked reluctance" by the UN to deploy greater resources in Sudan's Darfur region, despite a warning from its Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the situation there could descend into a Rwanda-style genocide. A source involved in preparing the European Commission's response to the Sudanese crisis said access to civilians uprooted by the conflict had been severely impeded by the Khartoum government. "But another reason why there isn't the capacity on the ground is because the UN has not really committed itself - with the possible exception of the World Food Programme [WFP], and even they do not have enough people on the ground," the source added. "There seems to be a marked reluctance to build up the capacity of the UN agencies, even though there are donors such as the EU very willing to provide funding." The complaint was, however, rejected by a spokeswoman for Annan. She said that the UN secretary-general had appealed to the Khartoum authorities to allow unfettered access for aid workers seeking to enter Darfur. A 'high-level donor alert' meeting on Sudan - called jointly by the UN, EU and US - is due to be held in Geneva today (3 June). WFP sources say its director Jim Morris will tell this gathering that two million people - twice as many as previously thought - need aid. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Countries / Regions | Africa |
