United Nations Accuses RSF Militia of Obstructing Humanitarian Work
Port Sudan – Sudanhorizon
The United Nations has issued a strongly worded statement accusing the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia of obstructing the delivery of relief and humanitarian aid to civilians in need in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region. The statement warned that the world is watching this unacceptable behaviour by the RSF.
The UN statement emphasized that “restrictions on aid must be lifted to allow assistance to reach those in need in Sudan.” The statement, signed by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, on Monday, highlighted the ongoing obstacles to humanitarian operations in Sudan, especially in Darfur, where food insecurity and suffering are worsening on a large scale.
The statement added, “The Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces, continues to impose restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder the delivery of life-saving aid to those in dire need.”
The statement lamented that despite repeated commitments made by the rebel-affiliated organization, humanitarian actors still face obstacles, unjustified interference, operational restrictions that violate international humanitarian law and the commitments outlined in the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect Civilians in Sudan, issued in May 2023.
Nkweta-Salami warned, “The world is watching, and it is unacceptable that the humanitarian community in Sudan—comprising UN agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations—is unable to deliver essential assistance due to the actions of those who pledged to facilitate aid.”
The statement called on the militia to take immediate and concrete measures to implement the outcomes of the Jeddah Declaration to ensure the delivery of urgent, life-saving aid, as outlined in the declaration’s commitment to protect civilians in Sudan.
The statement also stressed the need to end interference in humanitarian operations, including demands for logistical support or mandatory dealings with selected vendors whose operations are tainted by corruption and the diversion of aid.
Nkweta-Salami emphasised that the humanitarian community in Sudan calls on the militia, through its organisation, “to make every effort to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers so they can operate without threats or coercion.”
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