Statement by Andrew S. Natsios
To the Joint United Nations-United States-European Union
Donor Consultations on Darfur
Geneva, Switzerland
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov/
Press: (202) 712-4320
Public Information: (202) 712-4810
2004-048
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2004
Contact: USAID Press Office
The grave situation that has unfolded in Darfur in western Sudan in recent months is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Today, the most we can hope to accomplish is the containment of this disaster. Even in a best-case scenario, under optimal conditions, we could see as many as 320,000 people die. Without optimal conditions, the numbers will be far greater.
For over a year the United States has been deeply engaged in trying to put an end to the conflict in Darfur and provide assistance to those affected by the violence there. We've committed enormous resources to this effort, but without further resources from the international community and a commitment from both sides in this conflict to end the fighting and protect the vulnerable, this disaster cannot be contained.
There are three essential requirements that must be met to prevent this crisis from getting even worse. Put simply, these three things are resources, access, and security.
More resources from the international community are desperately needed. The United States is doing its part. Since February 2003 the U.S. has provided nearly $100 million in humanitarian assistance, including emergency food aid, shelter supplies, and funding for United Nations and other organizations, for Darfur. For over a year we have had experts working on the ground in such fields as water and sanitation, health, and nutrition, to identify needs and assist in directing aid so that it goes where it is most needed. And last month we airlifted enough plastic sheeting to provide shelter for nearly a quarter of a million people in advance of the onset of the rainy season.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the U.S. government is pledging an additional $188.5 million more for Darfur through the end of 2005. This will bring the total U.S. contribution for Darfur since February 2003 to nearly $300 million. This money will be used for further emergency food assistance, humanitarian programs, and other, non-food relief commodities such as shelter material and blankets. We will continue and further intensify our work with our partners in the United Nations and the NGO community to address the dire needs in Darfur. We are also looking to make an additional contribution to International Committee of the Red Cross's work in Darfur and to alleviate the refugee crisis in Chad through our international and non-governmental partners.
The second thing we must have in Darfur is access. The international community cannot help the people of Darfur unless it has unfettered access to all parts of Darfur. Let me be clear: no areas can be off-limits when it comes to humanitarian assistance.
We appreciate the steps that have been taken recently to ease travel restrictions to Darfur, though we would note that we have been asking for these restrictions to be lifted for months. And while the government of Sudan has now made it easier to get visas and travel to Darfur for some, the problem of access is far from resolved. There are numerous bureaucratic and other impediments that are preventing access to Darfur, and lifting one set of restrictions only to impose a series of new ones solves nothing. We call on the Sudanese to refrain from imposing new limitations on humanitarian operations, whether it be specifying humanitarian aid commodity types, standards of aircrafts, organizations permitted registration, or any other new policies. The Sudanese must take immediate steps to lift existing limits and speed up bureaucratic processes so that we can get essential equipment like vehicles, extra trucks, and communications equipment into the country.
There are other bureaucratic limitations as well. We call on the government of Sudan to reverse its requirement that it be mandatory for aid agencies to partner with local NGOs to deliver aid; while we agree that this should be an objective wherever possible, it is simply not possible throughout Darfur and shouldn't limit the overall aid operation.
Lastly, the Sudanese government must stop the Janjaweit militia atrocities and violence now, something they committed themselves to do in the N'Djamena ceasefire agreement. Security and protection for civilian populations are essential in enabling the international community to deliver aid and let people receive it without fear of further attack.
We have heard reports of desperate civilians near death refusing aid for fear it will result in attacks by Janjaweit militiamen. This simply cannot be permitted. We cannot allow the relief effort to result in people becoming more vulnerable or subject to attack.
We urge all sides to comply with each and every aspect of the N'Djamena ceasefire agreement signed in April. We look forward to full cooperation from both sides, specifically by affording full cooperation to the ceasefire monitors as agreed to last week in Addis Ababa. Let me assure you, we know what is happening. Aerial photographs have recorded the massive scale of destruction in Darfur. The United States will continue to monitor this situation carefully using all the resources available to it and will hold the signatories to the N'Djamena agreement accountable for their actions or lack thereof.
In conclusion, let me say that without stopping the violence there can be no delivery of humanitarian aid, no hope of people returning to their homes and rebuilding their lives, no hope of a resolution to this nightmare. Without further resources, unobstructed access and most of all security, the situation in Darfur will only continue to worsen, and hundreds of thousands more people will lose their lives.
The U.S. Agency for International
Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance
worldwide for more than 40 years.
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