UN conference on Greater Darfur, Sudan

The European Commission has today announced its intention to commit an additional €10 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of the conflict in the Greater Darfur region of Sudan. The announcement was made in Geneva at a United Nations conference on the situation in Darfur. This new aid package, which will be channelled through the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) will meet a range of emergency needs including health, nutrition, shelter and non-food items, water, sanitation and protection. The aid should improve the basic living conditions of up to one million victims of the conflict. The aid package will add up to the € 9.2 million humanitarian aid that the European Commission has already allocated to the victims of the Darfur crisis. Participants at the UN conference will include the Government of Sudan, key countries in the region, mayor donors and members of the aid community. The focus of the meeting will be on the overall situation in Darfur and related policy matters.

Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Poul Nielson said: "We are currently facing one of the largest recent humanitarian crises in the world with more than 2 million people - a third of the entire population of the Darfur region - badly affected by the armed conflict. The international community has a moral duty to act quickly and decisively to prevent this crisis from further deteriorating. Our ability to deliver what is expected of us will however depend on our ability to obtain quick and unhindered access to the many victims. I have therefore found it particularly discouraging that in the face of such a desperate humanitarian crisis humanitarian aid workers have been met with unnecessary bureaucratic constraints and aid supplies have been targeted by the warring parties. These incidents are unacceptable and need to stop immediately. I call on all warring parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. Only then will we be able to effectively assist the many in need.

With the signature of the ceasefire agreement in N'Djamena on 8 April a first important step has been taken. Now is the time to implement the agreement. I welcome the active role of the African Union and Chadian government in providing the necessary conditions for the implementation and supervision of the agreement."

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• Commissioners Nielson and Patten met UN Special Representative for Darfur (28/9/2004)
• EU humanitarian aid for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan (25/8/2004)
• GAERC on Sudan - Council conclusions (26/7/2004)
• EU humanitarian aid for victims of Darfur crisis in Sudan and Chad (12/7/2004)
• EUHR Solana announces the sending of EU observers to the Darfur region (Sudan) (21/6/2004)
• The humanitarian crisis in Greater Darfur, Sudan - ECHO's response (3/6/2004)