King Salman to patronize King's Cup final on Friday    Permit to visit Al-Rawdah Al-Sharif is only once in a year, and allotted time is 10 minutes    Death toll in Kharkiv airstrike rises to 14 as Zelenskyy calls for global support    German Vice Chancellor accuses Israel of violating international law    Widespread protests across Israel demand hostage swap and government dismissal    National service plan sparks controversy among UK political parties    60 Saudi students graduated from elite American universities    Commercial firm shut amid reports of food poisoning in Hafar Al-Batin    Faisal Al-Mujfel named Saudi ambassador to Syria    Saudi and South Korea discuss cooperation on AI and smart cities    Saudi fashion industry valued at SR92.3 billion in Q1 2024    Adam Smith Institute highlights Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and its global economic impact Saleh Kamel Lecture Series launched in London    Moody's affirms Saudi Arabia's A1 credit rating with positive outlook    Al Hilal celebrates historic Saudi Pro League victory in glamorous ceremony    Mancini announces Saudi squad for World Cup qualifiers    Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi wins gold at Kobe 2024 World Para Athletics Championships    HONOR unveils four-layer AI architecture and forges ahead with Google Cloud for more AI experiences at VivaTech 2024    'Hijra': A new cinematic exploration by Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen    Court forces Angelina Jolie to release non-disclosure agreements    TCL Electronics introduces the latest QD-Mini LED TV and smart home appliances    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



WFP chief puts hold on Sudan aid operations, following death of 3 staff in unrest
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 04 - 2023

The World Food Program (WFP) has temporarily halted all operations, as a result of the fighting between rival military groups in Sudan, which led to the deaths of three WFP employees on Saturday.
The UN Secretary-General has called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
According to a statement attributable to the Executive Director of the UN agency Cindy McCain the workers were carrying out life-saving duties in Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
In a separate incident on Saturday, a WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) aircraft was significantly damaged at Khartoum International airport during an exchange of gunfire, seriously impacting WFP's ability to move humanitarian workers and aid within the country.
In the statement, McCain explained that all operations in Sudan have been suspended, pending a review of the evolving security situation.
"WFP is committed to assisting the Sudanese people facing dire food insecurity," said McCain, "but we cannot do our lifesaving work if the safety and security of our teams and partners is not guaranteed.
"All parties must come to an agreement that ensures the safety of humanitarian workers on the ground and enables the continued delivery of life saving humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. They remain our top priority."
Any loss of life in humanitarian service is unacceptable and I demand immediate steps to guarantee the safety of those who remain.
McCain emphasized that threats to WFP teams make it impossible for them to operate safely and effectively in the country and carry out the UN agency's critical work.
Responding to the crisis on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for those responsible to be brought to justice without delay.
In a statement attributable to Guterres, he expressed deep concern about the continued clashes, and reminded the warring parties of the need to respect international law, including the obligation to ensure the safety and security of all United Nations and associated personnel, their premises, and their assets.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate halt to the fighting and for a return to dialogue, and emphasized that he continues to engage with regional leaders and with Sudanese stakeholders to find a way out of this crisis.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes strongly condemned the attacks on Sunday, and insisted that civilians and humanitarian aid workers are "not a target."
Perthes referred to reports of projectiles hitting UN and other humanitarian premises, and of looting at these premises, in several locations in Darfur.
The UNITAMS chief said that these acts of violence disrupt the delivery of life-saving assistance, and must end. "When incidents like this occur, it is women, men, and children in desperate need of assistance who suffer the most."
Perthes announced on Sunday that he had convinced the two warring parties to the current fighting to briefly pause hostilities, on humanitarian grounds, between four and seven p.m., local time.
The members of the Security Council added their voices to the calls for an end to hostilities on Sunday, in a statement expressing their regret for the loss of lives and injuries.
In the statement, they urged the parties to restore calm, and return to dialogue to resolve the current crisis in Sudan.
They went on to stress the importance that humanitarian access is maintained and the safety of UN personnel is ensured, and reaffirmed their "strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Sudan." — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.