Media Statement, 19th May, 2006

Unless the security situation improves dramatically in the coming days in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region, GOAL will be forced to suspend operations, cutting off the vital life-line to over 200,000 people reliant on the agency for survival.

Tensions in displacement camps are extremely high since the government and a Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction signed peace terms on May 5. A rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rejected the deal, and they have until the end of May to sign a peace agreement. Communities in the camps fear that the government may force their return to rural communities where reports of attacks by government supported Janjaweed militia remain a significant problem.

Yesterday saw the GOAL team suspend deliveries after areas under the control of SLA became “no-go areas” for GOAL.

In a statement, GOAL’s CEO, John O’Shea said

“Cars are being hijacked, contents looted, military clashes are widespread and banditry reigns, making it impossible for us to get aid to where its needed.

“The situation has become too precarious for GOALies to operate in. GOAL cannot in all conscious send out staff into areas where GOAL’s safety can no longer be guaranteed.

“Three and a half million are dependent on humanitarian aid where often the conflict has taken away their traditional means of livelihood. The worst thing is that it will inevitably be the most vulnerable and most needy that will suffer the most when more aid workers pull out.”

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday calling for strict observance of a new peace accord in Darfur and an acceleration of arrangements for a United Nations peacekeeping force to replace the strapped African Union force. But it’s a decision taken too late, according to O’Shea.

“The international community’s failure to act over three years of hell since the conflict first erupted has lead to the deaths of 300,000 and displaced millions. Two weeks after trouble first broke out, aid agencies in the field warned of the imploding genocide and begged the United Nations to take action to bring an end to the brutal campaign - our calls fell on deaf ears.”

GOAL has worked in Darfur since the start of the tragedy. Last January GOAL tragically lost an aid worker when a UN helicopter crash-landed in an emergency evacuation in Jebel Mara, a region completely off limits to aid agencies since.