EC gives €18 million in humanitarian aid for Darfur war victims

The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) is to provide an additional €18 million (about US $20.4 million) in humanitarian aid to the victims of the conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur. A statement issued by the EC on Monday said €10 million would go towards funding the needs of the displaced persons and other civilians throughout "Greater Darfur", which comprises the three states of Western, Northern and Southern Darfur. The remaining €8 million would be used to help refugees from Darfur who fled to neighbouring Chad. It said "the international community has recognised the need for immediate and generous support to humanitarian assistance for this crisis. Therefore, the Commission is mobilising these additional humanitarian aid funds in response to the rapidly escalating needs." Fighting between the government and rebels, which first broke out in Darfur early last year, has displaced about two million people, with up to 200,000 seeking refuge in neighbouring Chad. The UN and relief agencies have described the situation in Darfur as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis". Despite the lifting of certain restrictions on the movement of aid workers and assistance to the victims, some local authorities in parts of Darfur are continuing to require relief workers from the UN and NGOs to obtain travel permits for their areas. "I find it particularly discouraging that in the face of the desperate humanitarian crisis we are currently facing in Darfur, aid workers continue to meet with unnecessary bureaucratic constraints, and warring parties are continuing to target aid supplies," Poul Nielson, the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian aid, is quoted in the statement as saying. "These incidents are unacceptable and need to stop immediately. It is about time that the government of Sudan and the other parties start delivering on their pledges. The international community is running out of patience," he addd. The EC's latest contribution will be used to fund, among other things, food aid, food security, non-food items, water, health care and protection activities, it said. Total funding so far from the EC for the victims of the Darfur conflict was in excess of €88 million, the statement added.