The secretary-general of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) north sector says the government of Sudan is holding more than half a million people hostage in Sudan's Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States. Yassir Arman says the civilians in the two states lack food, medicine and shelter. He blames the international community for failing to put pressure on the Sudanese government to allow aid agencies in the areas worst hit.
Arman stressed that the government in Khartoum is buying time in lieu of the current political and economic crisis in Sudan. He urged the international community to exert more efforts and search for alternative ways to deliver relief aid urgently to villages under control of Sudan government and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) north sector.
"There is a need for this issue to be in the front seat, it should not be in the back seat given the present situation and many crises in Sudan, but we should remain focused on the issue of humanitarian aid to the Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur," he said.
Access to humanitarian agencies
Khartoum has been paying little attention to concerns by the international community over the dire humanitarian situation in the two states, maintaining that its government commissioned a survey conducted in February of this year, and that the situation in South Kordofan was not serious. The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) and the Sudan Media Center reported earlier this week that the Sudanese government has agreed to form a joint mechanism to manage coordination between U.N. agencies and the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission, to provide humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the fighting between Sudan's armed forces and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) north sector.
Food, medicine and shelter
Arman stressed that food, medicine and shelter should be given first priority to save lives in villages where thousands of people are surviving on tree leaves and hiding in mountain caves.
"Humanitarian aid should go immediately and now to those people to save their lives before talking about development or any other agenda,'' he said.
Arman added that scores of people in Nuba Mountains and villages in Blue Nile state have died because of disease, lack of food and constant attacks by Sudan armed forces and proxy militias fighting alongside Sudan government. He acknolwledged the presence of non-governmental organizations sending food to the area, but said the need is overwhelming.
"It is a crisis because people are unable to survive and they may die and many of them soon because of this policy of mass starvation practiced by Khartoum," he lamented.
Cessation of hostilities to save lives
The SPLM north secretary-general said his group is ready to sign a deal with Sudan government to avert the looming humanitarian catastrophe. He accused Sudan government for showing little commitment in negotiating a deal to secure humanitarian aid to the region. He asserts his groups readiness to strike a deal with Sudan government and aid agencies.
"In the first place, we need to have an agreement and see what is the requirement to take food, those are our people and we can do anything to let the humanitarian aid to go to them," Arman said.
After the rebellion of SPLM north in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in September 2011, Khartoum accused Juba of supporting the rebels and decided to close the border and ban trade between Sudan and South Sudan.
Recently Sudan's Vice President Ali Osman Taha announced that his government plans to declare a state of emergency in the border areas with South Sudan to prevent what authorities termed as "the smuggling of food" into the newly independent country.
Khartoum argues that the ban on trade between Juba and Khartoum will discourage Juba from supporting to the rebel groups of the SPLA north sector.
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