MORE THAN $2 BILLION REQUIRED FOR HUMANITARIAN, RECOVERY PROJECTS IN SUDAN - UN

MORE THAN $2 BILLION REQUIRED FOR HUMANITARIAN, RECOVERY PROJECTS IN SUDAN – UN
New York, Dec 11 2007 7:00PM
Sudan needs more than $2.29 billion to fund 959 humanitarian, early recovery and development projects next year, according to the United Nations relief arm, which is calling on the international community to make "an urgent commitment" to ensure that the country can head towards a sustainable peace.

Launching the 'UN and Partners Work Plan for Sudan' today in Geneva, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) said that 20 per cent of the funding has already been secured, leaving $1.84 billion to be raised to implement projects across 12 different sectors.

Ameerah Haq, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said the projects will be divided fairly evenly between humanitarian and development requirements.

"The challenge is to continue to assist life-saving activities in Darfur while ensuring resources for early recovery and developmental activities in the whole of Sudan," she said. "We must continue to invest in Sudan to ensure a smooth transition from a conflict-affected nation to one capable of providing for the needs of its population."

Sudan is the largest humanitarian operation for the UN, comprising some $1.18 billion – or almost one-third – of the worldwide total of $3.8 billion sought by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator for global humanitarian assistance next year.

The biggest need is in the war-wracked Darfur region in the west of the country, where more than 4 million people are affected by the conflict and the majority of the estimated 2.39 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are entirely dependent on food aid for survival.

OCHA said that about 24 per cent of all Sudanese are thought to be undernourished and as many as 30 per cent do not have access to safe drinking water. In total, there are 5.4 million IDPs across the nation, with some displaced for 20 years or more following the long-running north-south civil war that ended in 2005.

"We are facing important milestones in Sudan, which require an urgent commitment," said Ms. Haq, referring to the accord that ended the north-south war. "Three years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, progress towards a sustainable peace continues with the first post-conflict census and elections. There are unique opportunities for tangible peace benefits for all of Sudan.
2007-12-11 00:00:00.000

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