News note
Sudan must protect civilians and relief workers
Statement Attributable To -
United Nations Children's Fund Executive Director Carol Bellamy
World Food Programme Executive Director Catherine Bertini
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Kenzo Oshima
NEW YORK, 21 February 2002 - We strongly condemn the 20 February 2002
attack by a Government of Sudan helicopter gunship that killed 17 civilians
and wounded an unknown number of others at a food distribution site
near Bieh, Sudan. The Sudanese authorities had cleared this food distribution,
and vulnerable populations had gathered in the location to receive humanitarian
relief assistance provided by the United Nations.
This latest incident is part of an alarming pattern of attacks by the
Sudanese government and associated militias against civilians at or
near food distribution points and looting of humanitarian facilities.
On 2 February, facilities belonging to the non-governmental organization
Medecins Sans Frontieres at Nimne were looted and its laboratory deliberately
damaged. On 9 February, Nimne was attacked by a Government of Sudan
aircraft, which killed five civilians, including one MSF relief worker.
On 10 February, two people died and a dozen more were injured when a
military aircraft dropped bombs at a site in Akuem where the World Food
Programme had just finished distributing food to hundreds of people.
These acts are especially shocking when set against the backdrop of
a population in dire need of assistance and the apology issued last
week by the Government of Sudan for the Akuem incident. We call on the
Government of Sudan to cease all attacks against civilians immediately
and to ensure the safety of those trying to provide or receive life-sustaining
humanitarian assistance.
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For further information, please contact:
Alfred Ironside, UNICEF Media, New York, + (212) 326-7261
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