Some 11 humanitarian organizations left southern Sudan

A statement by the UN released on Wednesday said that the evacuation of 11 out of 42 active humanitarian organizations from southern Sudan will leave a space in the humanitarian aid dedicated to the local population because this means the loss of almost 35% of the aid ensured by organizations working in the framework of "Operation Lifeline Sudan."

On Tuesday some 149 employees from the organizations working in the course of Lifeline Sudan left. This operation was set by the UN in the area controlled by southern Sudanese rebels, after their organizations refused to sign a memorandum to organize humanitarian aid prepared by the Sudanese society for help and rehabilitation of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.

The spokesman for Operation Lifeline Sudan, Gillian Wilcox, said that some 16 international non-governmental organizations, and 8 Sudanese non-governmental organizations working in the course of Operation Lifeline Sudan had signed the memorandum which states that all these organizations are to work "in compliance with the objectives of the Sudanese society to help, rehabilitation and the international human principles."

On Tuesday, the European Commission decided to suspend the financing of 14 non-governmental organizations working in southern Sudan as of Wednesday, noting that, "Conditions to hand over the aid according to humanitarian principles are not available."