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Darfur: A humanitarian perfect storm

313 views · Published 12 August 2009 · 1:45 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2009 · News & Politics

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United Nations, New York, 12 August 2009 - Daily press briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. A humanitarian perfect storm is brewing in Southern Sudan, putting no less than 40 percent of the local population at risk. Thats according to Lise Grande, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in that region. Grande said earlier today in Khartoum that three factors have led her and her team to this conclusion. They include a spiraling inter-tribal conflict, a massive food shortage and a lingering budget crisis.
She said that 200 people have died in inter-tribal violence since January. The violence has also displaced more than 250,000. Southern Sudan also faces an acute food shortage brought about by a combination of delayed seasonal rains and widespread insecurity and high food prices due to a 40 percent drop in government revenues. This situation has left 1.2 million people dependent on food assistance from the World food Programme and is made worse by a lack of funding for humanitarian work. So far this year, only 59 of the required 412 million dollars have been disbursed.  
Meanwhile in Darfur, the UN/African Union Mission (UNAMID) says that 200 peacekeepers from Tanzania joined its ranks earlier today. The newly-arrived troops are part of an advance party tasked with setting up a camp for an even larger contingent of Tanzanians expected to join the Mission in September. The Mission also notes that it now has some 14,180 troops, which represents more than 70 percent of its authorized strength.

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