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	NGOs call for all-inclusive dialogue to save lives in Somalia by Reliefweb & agencies UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs   21 Sep 2011   As NGOs who have worked in Somalia for decades, we are accustomed to the daily struggle to survive that is the reality for most Somalis. However, never before have we faced such acute suffering with so many lives at stake.   Somalia is at a turning point. The next three months are critical; hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance. Efforts to increase assistance and prevent more deaths will not be enough unless accompanied by a dramatic change in approach. The humanitarian imperative of saving lives must override any political considerations at this crucial time.   It is hard to imagine that the suffering in Somalia could get any worse. Yet we know that the arrival of the Deyr rains predicted for October 2011 will result in increased suffering and lead to the deaths of many more weak and vulnerable Somalis in communities already decimated by famine.   The spread of cholera, measles and malaria will have a devastating effect on malnourished men, women and children. Current restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance are preventing the rapid scale up of aid that is so desperately needed in Somalia.   This scale up should not and cannot be achieved through military means. Somalia"s recent history has demonstrated that military action has often led to increased death and suffering, and further reduced humanitarian access.   Lives will be saved through active dialogue rather than military action. We welcome recent statements by some donor governments that an all inclusive dialogue is possible and necessary and urge further efforts in this respect from all sides.   With this in mind we call on:   Parties to the conflict to: Immediately commit to a full cessation of hostilities throughout Somalia; Allow free passage of assistance and for those seeking assistance; and Remove restrictions on the delivery of impartial aid and allow organisations to scale up their assistance, both in terms of experienced staff and essential materials such as food, water and medicine.   International governments and other actors to: Enhance diplomatic efforts and engage with all parties to the conflict to ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Somalia. We encourage members of the League of Arab states, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Somalia diaspora to continue to use their influence to achieve the rapid scale up of humanitarian assistance and save lives.   Remove any legal impediments to providing assistance in areas dominated by armed groups aid must be provided impartially, based on need, and independently of any political or military agendas.   Ensure that funding is available to support the levels of assistance that are needed ; and set aside funds for long term solutions.   Despite our best efforts we know that many lives will be lost. Yet we are faced with a window of opportunity, a critical period where a change in approach putting people before politics could save thousands of lives.   * Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, Caritas, Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Medecins du Monde, Mines Advisory Group, Oxfam, World Vision.. Visit the related web page
	Deteriorating security and humanitarian situations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile State by United Nations agencies Sudan   Sep 2011   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the security situation in Southern Kordofan and the eruption of fighting in Blue Nile State. He urges the parties to immediately cease all hostilities and allow access to the humanitarian agencies to all affected areas to provide vital assistance to the civilian population.   Fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile state displaces tens of thousands of people.   Fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and rebels in the country’s Blue Nile state has continued, displacing tens of thousands of people who cannot be reached by relief agencies due to movement restrictions imposed by the Government, the United Nations humanitarian office reported today.   The fighting involves government forces against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and was previously confined to Southern Kordofan state before it spread to neighbouring Blue Nile last week.   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update that little is known about the situation in Blue Nile, particularly in the SPLM-N controlled areas, due to lack of access. More than 100,000 people are thought to be displaced.   30 August 2011   More than 200,000 people affected by recent fighting in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan state face potentially catastrophic levels of malnutrition and mortality after the Government’s refusal to let aid agencies replenish stocks and deploy personnel, the United Nations warned today.   “The crisis in South Kordofan has reached a critical point,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said in a statement on the state where the UN has already said crimes against humanity and war crimes may have been perpetrated in fighting between Government forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army North (SPLA-N).   “Essential supplies have been completely depleted in many parts of South Kordofan, leaving many people in a life-threatening situation without any prospect of relief,” she added, voicing alarm that Government authorities last week cancelled an essential humanitarian assessment mission to the region after denying permission to international agencies to replenish stocks and deploy personnel for the past six weeks.   “Unless there is an immediate stop to the fighting, and humanitarian organizations are granted immediate and unhindered independent access throughout South Kordofan, people in many parts of the State face potentially catastrophic levels of malnutrition and mortality.”   Ms. Amos welcomed the recent distribution of relief supplies in the state capital, Kadugli, but voiced concern that other parts of Southern Kordofan remain cut off, with more than 200,000 people affected by recent fighting prevented from receiving aid.   “The Government of Sudan and the SPLM-N must lift restrictions on humanitarian organizations so they can provide timely and effective assistance to people in need,” she concluded. “Unless aid is delivered in sufficient quantities now, the consequences will be severe.”   Southern Kordofan borders newly independent South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan on 9 July.   24 July 2011   “Children, elderly people and mothers risk hunger,” said Valerie Amos. “Humanitarian partners, who were in these areas before the conflict erupted, have distributed emergency aid including food and basic medicines to over 70,000 people in mountainous areas of Southern Kordofan state,” she said.   “However, I am concerned about how people will cope when the emergency food ration they have received runs out. Ongoing conflict has prevented them from planting and they may continue to rely on emergency food assistance that humanitarian agencies have been providing.”   Ms. Amos – who urged all sides to the conflict to allow aid to be brought in – stressed that if humanitarian agencies continue to be denied access, “they will not be able to take stock of the remaining humanitarian supplies nor assess how much is necessary in order to respond to the needs of vulnerable civilians.”   22 July 2011   UN experts alarmed over atrocities in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan region.   United Nations human rights experts have expressed alarm over reports of mass killings in the Southern Kordofan region of Sudan, appealed for an immediate cessation of the violence and called for an urgent investigation.   “We are gravely concerned by what appears to be strong evidence that atrocities are being carried out right now in Southern Kordofan and credible reports that civilians as well as combatants are being killed and targeted for gross and widespread human rights violations by Sudanese Government forces,” said Gay McDougall, the Independent Expert on minority issues.   Last week Ivan Šimonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said the UN has received “very disturbing” reports recently from Southern Kordofan that include indiscriminate aerial attacks, shelling, abductions, extrajudicial killings and mass graves in fighting between Government forces and members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Recent media reports said that as many as 100 civilians are buried in mass graves.   Ms. McDougall said “worrying reports indicate that persons particularly of Nuban descent have been targeted and killed in incidents that, if they are proved, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity by those who have planned and perpetrated such acts.” “A thorough and independent investigation is required with free and unfettered access to the region,” she said.   Jeremy Sarkin, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, said that “under no circumstances should enforced disappearances be allowed or tolerated.” El Hadji Malick Sow, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, called for “an independent and comprehensive investigation [to] be conducted on the massive arrests carried out during the last months of political and civil society activists."   The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR), which released the experts’ comments, said “reports suggest that Nuban and dark-skinned people of Southern Kordofan face killings, arbitrary arrest and detentions, disappearances, abductions, attacks on churches and aerial bombardment.”   Southern Kordofan lies in Sudan but borders the newly independent South Sudan. The Nubans have reportedly faced exclusion, marginalization and discriminatory practices that have resulted in their opposition to the Sudanese Government and their support for the SPLA, OHCHR said.   The mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan came to an end after South Sudan became independent on 9 July. The Security Council created a UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), but the new mission does not have a mandate to operate in Sudan.   Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said last week that the Sudanese Government has repeatedly denied the UN access to the area since the skirmishes began early last month. Visit the related web page
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