UN mission arrives in Khartoum, leaves for Darfur

A high-level United Nations mission has arrived in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to gather information on the humanitarian conditions in the western region of Darfur. The team, led by UN World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris, also includes the UN secretary-general's special envoy for humanitarian affairs in Sudan, Ambassador Tom Eric Vraalsen, and other senior officials from UN headquarters and agencies. On Wednesday, the team held a meeting with President Umar Hasan al-Bashir "in a cordial atmosphere", after which it left for Darfur, according to a press statement issued on Wednesday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The mission was scheduled to visit Darfur's three regions to "gather first-hand information on the humanitarian situation, and assess the scope of the crisis", said the statement. It said the mission would meet local officials, community leaders and representatives of NGOs and other international organisations in the area "to review and address issues of civilian protection, humanitarian access and operations". The Darfur conflict, which erupted early last year between the Sudanese government and militias allied to it on the one hand and two rebel groups on the other hand, has displaced over one million people, while some 110,000 others have fled to Chad. It has been described by the UN as "one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises". The UN mission is expected to return to Khartoum on Friday and leave the country the following day.