Goal warns of worsening crisis in Darfur

Irish aid agency Goal has warned it may have to halt its work in the Darfur region of Sudan unless the security situation there improves.

Some 200,000 refugees are reliant on Goal for survival. Services to certain areas were halted yesterday after they were deemed too dangerous to operate in.

Tensions in displacement camps are extremely high since the government and a Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction signed a peace deal earlier this month. However a rival SLA faction and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rejected the deal. They have been given until the end of the month to sign a peace agreement.

GOAL's CEO, John O'Shea said refugees in displacement camps are concerned the Sudanese government may force them to return to rural communities where reports of attacks by government-supported Janjaweed militia remain a significant problem.

"Cars are being hijacked, contents looted, military clashes are widespread and banditry reigns, making it impossible for us to get aid to where its needed," he said.

"Three and a half million are dependent on humanitarian aid where often the conflict has taken away their traditional means of livelihood. The worst thing is that it will inevitably be the most vulnerable and most needy that will suffer the most when more aid workers pull out."

Mr O'Shea attacked the international community for what called its "failure to act over three years of hell" since the Darfur conflict began. Some 300,000 people have died and millions have been forced from their homes.

He said the UN Security Council's approval this week of a resolution calling for strict observance of the peace deal and an acceleration of arrangements for a UN peacekeeping force to replace the African Union force was too late.