SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER SECURITY OF HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES BELONGING TO OPERATION LIFELINE SUDAN

Press Release
SG/SM/7508
AFR/261

SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER SECURITY OF HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES BELONGING TO OPERATION LIFELINE SUDAN

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over the security of humanitarian personnel and facilities belonging to Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS). He is particularly alarmed at the latest incident on 7 August during which some 18 bombs were dropped in the vicinity of United Nations-based facilities at Mapel, 60 kilometres southeast of Wau. A United Nations aircraft, that had been cleared by the Government of Sudan to undertake its flight, was on the airstrip at Mapel at the time of the bombing.

The Secretary-General regrets that this latest incident took place despite assurances from the Government of the Sudan that bombings of locations being used by United Nations/OLS would not reoccur. These assurances followed earlier bombing incidents in late July that threatened the safety of humanitarian personnel and relief aircraft. In light of these developments, all OLS relief flights have been temporarily suspended, pending a security assessment. The Secretary-General and humanitarian agencies are extremely concerned with the impact this suspension may have on vulnerable populations who rely on relief aid to survive.

The Secretary-General calls upon bot the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to reinforce as a matter of urgency the necessary measures to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and civilian beneficiaries throughout the country. He reiterates his call to the parties to resume the humanitarian ceasefire that expired on 15 July.

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