PRESS BRIEFING BY CHIEF OF OCHA EMERGENCY LIAISON BRANCH

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY CHIEF OF OCHA EMERGENCY LIAISON BRANCH

The most serious recent impact of war on humanitarian operations in the Sudan was the series of bombings on sites used by Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), Kevin Kennedy, Chief of the Emergency Liaison Branch of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

[The OLS is a consortium of United Nations and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) which carries out relief operations in the Sudan. It includes such organizations as the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), CARE and Médecins Sans Frontières among others.]

Mr. Kennedy talked to correspondents shortly after briefing the Security Council on the recent bombings near United Nations humanitarian facilities in southern Sudan. Field and flight operations countrywide had been suspended until officials were confident that the operation could proceed in safety.

Mr. Kennedy reminded reporters that the Sudan is enduring one of the longest-running conflicts in the world, which dates back to the middle of the last century. The humanitarian impact of that conflict has been enormous. He estimated that over 1.5 million people have been killed or died from the effects of Sudan's severe drought in the last 15 or 16 years alone. Moreover, a further 1.7 million of the country's 35 million people have been directly affected by the drought.

Today, literally millions of Sudanese still suffered food shortages caused by drought and the effects of the war. International relief efforts in the Sudan were widespread, not only in the south where the fighting takes place but throughout the entire country. To make matters more difficult, the Sudan hosted four million internally displaced persons (IDPs), the largest IDP population in the world, he said. The country also hosted nearly half a million refugees, largely from Eritrea.

Mr. Kennedy noted that humanitarian operations in the Sudan were the result of a unique agreement between the United Nations, the Government of the Sudan, and the armed rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The agreement was designed so that humanitarian operations could be carried out in a safe and secure manner, reaching all those who were in need.

Having said that, however, Mr. Kennedy conceded that humanitarian operations in the Sudan had been beset by many challenges and obstacles. In the last year alone, he noted, two relief workers were killed, both from CARE, and three wounded, one from CARE and one from

OCHA Press Briefing - 2 - 11 August 2000

(UNICEF). Despite those setbacks, he gave credit to all the people, international and Sudanese, who had been involved in the work of OLS.

He said that since the fighting intensified in the south in mid- June, there had been a number of repercussions. Firstly, on the people affected by additional displacement, and of course, on the ongoing humanitarian assistance operations. The impact came from all sides in the conflict, he told correspondents.

Mr. Kennedy said that the most recent and most visible impact had been the series of bombings on OLS sites in southern Sudan. As a result of the war, there were of course a number of bombings going on, but it was difficult to understand the bombardment of airfields when humanitarian flights had been cleared to land at those airfields.

The OLS operated in a complete open and transparent manner in the Sudan, he said, informing all parties of what it was planning. When a relief flight was scheduled its flight plan was filed a month ahead of time and confirmed 48 hours in advance. Radio contact was then made and clearance obtained to enter airspace and make deliveries on land.

Mr. Kennedy said that OLS officials had expressed concerned when several of the relief planes came under attack on the ground. This had led to some of the most recent attacks in the town of Mapel. He added that the airfields were in a variety of locations -- from strips "in the middle of nowhere" to fields adjacent to larger towns and cities.

Mapel, well known as an OLS operational base, was bombed on 7 August and again on 9 August. Mr. Kennedy said that after the first bombardment, flight operations had been temporarily suspended throughout Sudan. Field operations countrywide had been also been suspended until relief workers were confident that humanitarian operations could proceed in safety. At present, he continued, overland convoys and humanitarian staff were still on the ground.

Finally, he noted that the Secretary-General had received an undertaking from Omer Al-Bashir, President of the Sudan. According to Mr. Kennedy, the President committed himself and his Government to ensuring the safety and integrity of the humanitarian operation. Mr. Kennedy added that officials would be working at Headquarters in the next few days to put things right and make sure that conditions are set in order to resume operations. Once matters were satisfactorily in place, operations would go forward.

Asked who he thought was doing the bombing and what their purpose was, Mr. Kennedy replied that bombardments were carried out by planes belonging to the Government of the Sudan. He noted that, to his knowledge, the rebel forces had no air force. He felt that it was best not to hypothesize about matters. The OLS was a humanitarian operation, outside the military realm. Its job was to carry out and deliver assistance and to work through all obstacles.

OCHA Press Briefing - 3 - 11 August 2000

Asked what sort of feedback he had received from Council members, Mr. Kennedy said he preferred not to discuss the Council's consultations. He did note that Council members were concerned and would like to see the situation put right.

Before concluding his briefing, Mr. Kennedy mentioned that he had received unconfirmed reports today that there had been an additional bombardment of Mapel. Efforts were being made to confirm the report.

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