Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide and Minister of International development Åsmund Aukrust on the attack on a WFP aid convoy in Darfur, Sudan
Alsudanianews:Norway
We condemn yet another attack on a WFP convoy that was on route to Mellit with lifesaving assistance to starving people. The people in North Darfur have suffered unspeakable violence and misery. Attacking brave humanitarian personnel who take great risks to help those in dire need is utterly unacceptable. The famine in North Darfur is man-made. Humanitarian organizations stand ready to help but are blocked from doing their work. This must stop.
Shocking reports come out of the city of El Fasher, which is besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The civilians trapped in the city are in a desperate situation. At least 60 people have died of starvation within a week in El Fasher, at least 40 civilians were killed in the nearby Abu Shouk IDP camp and at least 40 people have died from cholera the last week in the Darfur region alone. The numbers are likely to be much higher, but the fighting, limited presence by international aid workers and journalists, combined with restrictions on internet and telecommunication limits the information coming out of Darfur. The RSF must immediately implement the UN Security Council Resolution 2736 and lift the siege on El Fasher and refrain from attacking civilians.
We urge all armed parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.
