US $126 million humanitarian appeal launched

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Tuesday launched its Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the year 2000, appealing to donors for US $125.6 million - with US $67 million of that sum earmarked for food security. The appeal is divided into six main sectoral programmes, aiming to assist human rights protection and peace-building, while supporting food security and ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to basic services in health, water and sanitation, and education. It also makes provision for a previously flagged US $10.4 million multi-sectoral assistance package for the Nuba Mountains. 1999 a better year, but chronic insecurity and poverty continue The humanitarian situation in Sudan improved during 1999, particularly in the areas affected last year by famine in Bahr el Ghazal, the appeal said. A good harvest and relative stability had enabled humanitarian organisations to carry out both “life-saving operations and activities aimed at reinforcing local coping mechanisms and self-reliance”. Nonetheless, insecurity, lack of access to vulnerable populations and “disregard for humanitarian principles” continued to be major constraints, the appeal document stated. “Chronic insecurity and poverty continues to affect the survival of civilians in several parts of Sudan”, especially in southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, southern Blue Nile Region and eastern Sudan along the border with Eritrea, it added.