Millions could die in Sudan, warns aid agency

Amnesty International today warned that 2.2 million people face the risk of starvation and disease following yesterday’s decision by the Sudanese government to expel more than 10 aid agencies.

“Millions of lives are at stake and this is no time to play political games,” said Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.

“These aid agencies provide the bulk of the humanitarian aid required by more than two million vulnerable people.

“By expelling humanitarian agencies, the Sudanese government is effectively holding the entire civilian population of Darfur hostage – an aggressive act that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by the African Union, the League of Arab States and the international community as a whole.”

The expulsions, which included Oxfam, Care, Save the Children and Medecins Sans Frontieres, came soon after a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Several other aid agencies had their assets seized.

“The population of Darfur, which has suffered the brunt of this conflict for the past six years, is now being punished by its own government in response to the arrest warrant,” said Hondora.

“The Sudanese authorities must immediately reverse their decision to expel and suspend the operations of key humanitarian aid agencies immediately and allow them to carry on with their life-saving work. The alternative is simply unthinkable.”

The African Union today held an emergency meeting to discuss the arrest warrant. The League of Arab States convened yesterday and expressed its solidarity with President al Bashir.