Brussels, 26/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The worsening of the humanitarian situation in Sudan and South Sudan has led to the European Commission making an additional €40 million of emergency aid available (see EUROPE 10662). This supplementary aid, which was granted on 26 July, will go towards the supply of drinking water, sanitation, food and protection for the 200,000 people who have fled the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. Approximately 37.000 of these people (mainly from Blue Nile) are taking refuge in Ethiopia.
This new funding brings the Commission's relief aid in the two countries this year to €127 million. With the €86 million aid mobilised by the member states, the EU contribution for 2012 amounts today to €213 million emergency aid for the region, but could be increased still further if South Sudan allowed humanitarian organisations access to the populations in need inside the country, as European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva is requesting, along with the EU ministers for foreign affairs (see EUROPE 10662).
The situation is critical in the refugee camps and transit centres of South Sudan, with the refugees suffering from conditions of poor sanitation and malnutrition. Diseases are spreading with the risk of cholera. An expert from ECHO, the European Commission's humanitarian service, told press that in Gida (Ethiopia) - the biggest camp, which holds 55,000 people - there are 400 cases of malaria and last week 23 people died from acute diarrhoea. In the Upper Nile, the Djamal camp holds over 30,000 people who do not have enough drinking water. The expert said that his colleagues were currently trying to move these refugees. However it is a difficult task as there is an absence of infrastructure and the rainy season makes transport very expensive. The country also has 330,00 displaced people.
The Commission had initially programmed €87 million for humanitarian aid to Sudan and South Sudan in 2012 but since then supplementary funds have been drawn on the emergency reserve of the EU budget. “At the moment we are not able to access people affected inside Sudan. If access was possible, we could turn towards the budgetary authorities again” (European Parliament/Council), this expert said. A team of humanitarian experts from the Commission, who were rushed out to the area, is following the situation closely - evaluating the needs and supervising how the funds dispatched by ECHO's partners are being used (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the International Organisation for Migration and the International Committee of the Red Cross). (AN/transl.fl)