North Darfur promises to protect UN agencies

The Wali (governor) of North Darfur, Nimir Abdelrahman, affirmed his government’s commitment to providing the necessary protection to UN agencies and international organisations working in the state so that they can perform their work. He also called on the organisations to intensify their efforts to provide the best humanitarian aid to those in need.

The looting of the WFP warehouse in December (WFP)

The Wali (governor) of North Darfur, Nimir Abdelrahman, affirmed his government’s commitment to providing the necessary protection to UN agencies and international organisations working in the state so that they can perform their work. He also called on the organisations to intensify their efforts to provide the best humanitarian aid to those in need.

The Wali met with the Secretariat of the Government and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and UNICEF, in the presence of State Police Director Maj Gen Abdelkarim Hamdou, Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Dr. Abbas Youssef, and a number of other officials in his office today. The meeting touched upon many issues and topics.

Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Dr. Abbas Youssef said in a press statement after the meeting: that the meeting coordinated and discussed the protection of humanitarian convoys to and from targeted areas.

The meeting also touched on the issue of maintaining police vehicles and improving the capabilities and skills of security personnel.

Youssef said that, in the meeting, the governor had pledged to provide the necessary protection for international organisations so that they can perform their work serving the community. The Wali also called on them to intensify efforts to help the needy.

The Qatari official of the UNHCR, Toby Howard, said that the meeting discussed the transfer of the organisation’s activities in the localities, peacebuilding, sustainable development, and the provision of protection.

In January, the Wali of North Darfur launched a committee to investigate the looting and plundering of United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) sites and World Food Programme (WFP) warehouses.

Only earlier this month, the UN WFP could partially resume its operations in North Darfur after more than a month’s suspension following a series of attacks and looting of all three of its warehouses in El Fasher in December 2021.