Statement attributable to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan a.i., Mr. Mark Cutts
KHARTOUM, Sudan, February 24, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan a.i., Mr. Mark Cutts, has welcomed the return today of United Nations international staff to South Kordofan State. This follows a decision made earlier by the Government of Sudan to authorize their return. The first two international staff arrived today in the state capital, Kadugli.
On 23 February the Government presented the results of an assessment of the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan which had been led by the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission. The assessment covered Government-controlled areas of South Kordofan. Mr Cutts acknowledged efforts that are being made by the Government, together with national and international humanitarian organizations, to address humanitarian needs in the state and called for assessments to be extended to all conflict affected areas, including both Government areas and SPLM-N areas. “We firmly believe that the United Nations and other independent and impartial humanitarian organizations have a vital role to play in helping to meet the needs of all Sudanese civilians affected by the fighting”, he said.
Mr. Cutts stressed that what is needed more than anything else is for the fighting to stop so that displaced people can return to their homes and so that people in the conflict affected areas can resume normal lives. “As long as fighting continues, civilians will suffer”, he said.
Mr. Cutts said that the United Nations, the African Union and the League of Arab States have tabled a joint proposal to facilitate humanitarian access to conflict-affected people throughout South Kordofan and Blue Nile. “We hope that we will soon be in a position to operationalize this proposal”, he said, adding that “we need to act very quickly to prevent the humanitarian situation from deteriorating further”.
SOURCE
UNITED NATIONS
