UNITED NATIONS ISSUES APPEAL FOR DARFUR, SUDAN

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GENEVA, 9 April (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- Today, the United Nations issued the Revised Appeal for the Sudan Assistance Programme (ASAP 2004) seeking more than $115 million for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.  This replaces the Greater Darfur Special Initiative launched on 15 September 2003, which requested some $23 million.  The new appeal includes programmes to provide food aid, health care, agricultural assistance, relief supplies including shelter, water and sanitation, education, protection and coordination.

United Nations agencies estimate that over 700,000 Sudanese have become internally displaced in Darfur since fighting erupted early last year between the Sudanese Government, allied militias and rebel groups.  Tens of thousands of refugees have fled into neighbouring Chad.

United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations have been able to help only about one third of those in need as insecurity, weak implementing capacity and an inconsistent travel permit regime prevent wider access.

Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, reported last week that a coordinated scorched-earth campaign of ethnic cleansing was taking place in Darfur.  Field staff from UN agencies and non-governmental organizations have received credible reports almost daily about widespread atrocities, grave violations of human rights, and forced depopulation of entire areas.  The targets of the campaign are the region's black African population, especially the Fur, Zaghawas, and Massalit ethnic communities.

Attacks against civilians have forced internally displaced persons to congregate in larger and more urban areas, which increase the risk of disease outbreaks.  Scarce sources of water around which the internally displaced congregate are dwindling rapidly.

On 2 April 2004, the United Nations launched a new appeal for over $30 million to provide aid to Sudanese refugees in Chad during 2004.  The Chad appeal seeks funding to provide immediate assistance to 110,000 people in eastern Chad.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel. (917) 367-5126, mobile: (917) 892-1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel. 41 22 917 2653, mobile: 41(0) 79 473 4570.

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