A right of sanctuary for
humanitarian aid in Darfur

The SOLIDARITES team in Darfur is currently faced with an extremely serious situation, as are the teams from other humanitarian organisations working in this region. Access to endangered populations is becoming increasing difficult and heralds a humanitarian crisis. In order to stop this downward spiral, it is urgent that a right of sanctuary for humanitarian aid be declared by all parties involved in the conflict.

The dramatic increase in violence against local populations and humanitarian workers at the end of 2006 has continued into 2007, as recent incidents have shown. Over the last 6 months, 30 humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies have been directly attacked, leaving 12 Sudanese humanitarian workers dead. Humanitarian organisations in the most volatile areas of Darfur (in particular southern Darfur) have to continuously negotiate with the various parties present in these areas (which are broken up into many small groups of fighters) in order to gain access to vulnerable populations.

Today, humanitarian access in Darfur is shrinking away, thus creating the conditions for a humanitarian crisis. Indeed, if the situation continues to deteriorate, it is likely that humanitarian organisations will have to evacuate their personnel and their operations, and suspend assistance for destitute populations. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), one third of the territory is no longer accessible for relief operations, and aid provided by NGOs is rapidly decreasing, especially in rural areas. The major risk, in the coming weeks and months, is that the populations in these areas will fall victim to food shortages or even famine, due to isolation and lack of aid. The second risk is that these populations will flee rural areas, causing another influx of displaced persons to towns.

Finally, following the theft and destruction of harvests and the large numbers of farmers who have been forced to abandon their land after attacks, the carryover period until the next harvest, which generally commences in June/July, will commence in April/May in some areas of Darfur, two months early. Farmers will be obliged to eat their seeds and will therefore not have any to sow. If humanitarian organisations cannot distribute new seeds to them, those who are still able to cultivate their land will not be able to harvest in October 2007. This would mean that the next harvest would be in October 2008!

In Darfour, we are caught in a trap. Today, the major question is whether we can continue our action in certain areas of Darfur where humanitarian aid is vital for hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom have fled violence (attacks on villages, pillaging, burning, exactions, rapes). The United Nations have reported that around 78000 people fled their homes in January and February 2007 due to more attacks.

This is a humanitarian emergency. It is therefore necessary that everything be done without further delay to reach an agreement signed by all parties to the conflict, to ensure “the right of sanctuary for humanitarian aid” which is so essential for the population of Darfur. In practical terms, this right of sanctuary means the ability to provide assistance to vulnerable populations, some of whom have dispersed themselves in small groups to escape exactions throughout an area the size of France which has no infrastructure. This could entail the establishment of as many humanitarian corridors as necessary to meet needs.