Food aid ‘should not be linked to registration process’

A former expert at the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusef Bakhit said humanitarian organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) should not solely link the provision of food for needy refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) to re-registration processes. In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Bakhit said ‘there needs to be more than one organisation operating at any one time, so that in the event of expulsion other organisations can continue to provide assistance.’ He said the issues facing IDPs, can be solved in a number of ways. Firstly, ‘the WFP could delegate some responsibility to camp elders to carry out inventories of IDPs to provide statistics that the WFP could adopt.’ The inventory process could also see IDPs, civil society organisations and human rights bodies coordinating to register people at a quicker pace. Bakhit called for the need for a good working relationship between the WFP and IDPs and pointed out that international law requires that IDPs and refugees maintain healthy living standards.He added ‘IDPs should not be forced to return to their villages against their will.’

A former expert at the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusef Bakhit said humanitarian organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) should not solely link the provision of food for needy refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) to re-registration processes.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Bakhit said ‘there needs to be more than one organisation operating at any one time, so that in the event of expulsion other organisations can continue to provide assistance.’

He said the issues facing IDPs, can be solved in a number of ways.

Firstly, ‘the WFP could delegate some responsibility to camp elders to carry out inventories of IDPs to provide statistics that the WFP could adopt.’

The inventory process could also see IDPs, civil society organisations and human rights bodies coordinating to register people at a quicker pace.

Bakhit called for the need for a good working relationship between the WFP and IDPs and pointed out that international law requires that IDPs and refugees maintain healthy living standards.

He added ‘IDPs should not be forced to return to their villages against their will.’

A former expert at the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusef Bakhit said humanitarian organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) should not solely link the provision of food for needy refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) to re-registration processes.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Bakhit said ‘there needs to be more than one organisation operating at any one time, so that in the event of expulsion other organisations can continue to provide assistance.’

He said the issues facing IDPs, can be solved in a number of ways.

Firstly, ‘the WFP could delegate some responsibility to camp elders to carry out inventories of IDPs to provide statistics that the WFP could adopt.’

The inventory process could also see IDPs, civil society organisations and human rights bodies coordinating to register people at a quicker pace.

Bakhit called for the need for a good working relationship between the WFP and IDPs and pointed out that international law requires that IDPs and refugees maintain healthy living standards.

He added ‘IDPs should not be forced to return to their villages against their will.’