UN warns of humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan's Darfur

UN refugee agency UNHCR warned Friday that the worsening situation in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region threatens to spark another round of massive displacement that could destabilize the entire region.

In a statement, the High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres cited lack of security and access as well as continuing uncertainty over the deployment to Darfur of a U.N. peacekeeping force that was recently approved by the UN Security Council.

"Humanitarian agencies are already struggling to cope with the enormous needs of some 2 million internally displaced people inside Darfur, plus more than 200,000 refugees in 12 UNHCR-run camps across the border in Chad," Guterres said.

"Deteriorating security has left us unable to provide even minimal help across wide areas of Darfur, and resources in neighboring Chad have been stretched to the limit. An already bad situation is worsening by the day."

The Sudanese government has vehemently opposed the deployment of the UN troops in its western region of Datrfur.

But thousands of Sudanese troops have been deployed to Darfur in recent weeks, prompting fears of a major military offensive that could lead to yet more displacement.

"Millions of people are already at grave risk," the High Commissioner said.

"Hundreds are still dying amid ongoing violence, and thousands are still being forcibly displaced. Urgent international action is needed to put pressure on the parties to the conflict and to convince everyone involved on the ground to let humanitarian agencies safely carry out their work. Lives depend on it. If things don't improve, we're heading for a major catastrophe."

He said aid agencies were already struggling to cope with rising violence that has left wide swathes of Darfur too dangerous to visit by road.

Guterres warned that the worsening situation in Darfur could also have dire consequences for the rest of the region.

Neighboring Chad, where a dozen, remote UNHCR camps currently hold more than 200,000 Darfur refugees in an extremely hostile environment, is already grappling with cross-border insecurity that has displaced some 50,000 Chadians and sent about 15,000 of them fleeing into Darfur, he said.

"The Darfur crisis also has the potential to exacerbate continuing instability in the northern Central African Republic. Some 46,000 Central African refugees are housed in three UNHCR camps in southern Chad," the UNHCR chief said.

"Chad has been extremely generous in helping refugees, but it's now close to the breaking point," Guterres said.

"It is hard to comprehend the enormity of the crisis we would face if there is additional large-scale displacement in Darfur. Even without the violence and insecurity, humanitarian operations in this remote and resource-poor region are extremely difficult."

According to Guterres, the one bright spot in the region, the ongoing UNHCR repatriation of thousands of Sudanese refugees and displaced back to their homes in Southern Sudan, could also be severely affected should the Darfur crisis worsen.

A dozens of aid workers have been killed since May and humanitarian convoys are repeatedly attacked and vehicles stolen in the strife torn Darfur region.

Source: Xinhua