AFRICA : SUDAN : BISHOP APPEALS FOR HELP - 900000 DISPLACED

CISA REPORT
Rev.-Andudu-Adam-Elnail

S Kordofan, October 23, 2012 (CISA) – The bishop of the Diocese of Kadugli in South Kordofan, Rev. Andudu Adam Elnail, is appealing to the international community to find ways to provide much-needed aid to the people in the conflict-torn Sudanese state.

According to Reuters, more than 900,000 people have been displaced or severely affected since fighting broke out between Sudan’s army and SPLM-North rebels in the oil-producing state of South Kordofan in June 2011, shortly before South Sudan became independent.

Bishop Elnali said the Sudanese government has continued to block humanitarian assistance to South Kordofan.

“We have over 11,000 unschooled children…we are urging the international community to help these children go to school. We need food and medicine because we are losing three children a day. People try to cultivate and do farming but they are bombed.”

The Catholic Church has been able to send assistance to many parts of the country with help from its parishioners and priests.

“I don’t think there is any other big hindrance to humanitarian aid aside from the government conflict,” Elnail said. “Roads and communication difficulties can be overcome. The humanitarian agencies are very ready, they have food, they have money and they don’t need to wait because people are dying,” added the bishop

According to the UN “In SPLM-N areas, no humanitarian staff have been able to enter from within Sudan and no food aid has been delivered, despite intensive negotiations that have been going on now for more than 16 months,”

In August, Sudan agreed to let aid pass through its territory into rebel-held areas under an agreement brokered by the United Nations, the African Union and Arab League.

But the U.N. has been unable to win approval from Sudan to distribute aid during almost three months of talks.

Altogether 908,000 people have been displaced or severely affected in both states, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, revising upward its previous count of 655,000.
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