Darfour: thousands of children suffer the war

The UN World and Food program announced that thousands of the Sudanese children suffer malnutrition in Darfour districts where continued violence and other obstacles cause the delay of the arrival of urgent food supplies for the hungry people.

Meantime, the UN announced appointing the former Dutch minister Jan Broneak as a special representative for the UN in Sudan.

The program said that despite the cease fire agreement which was signed in April between the rebels and the government forces which are accused of supporting al-Janjawid militias which is held responsible for collective acts of killing in the area, however, the lack of security caused slow distribution of aid.

In a press conference she held in the name of WFP in Geneva, the program spokeswoman said that the " situation is very critical in Darfour.. malnutrition cases are very high." The program said in June that she hopes to ensure nutrition for 800,000 persons among 1,2 million who evacuated because of the fighting taking place in the area situated to the west of Sudan.

She indicated that the program supports in special centers some 1025 Sudanese children who suffer critical malnutrition and other 16132 children suffer less malnutrition. Some 39% of the people of the area suffer malnutrition with 10% of them suffering critical malnutrition in Abu Shouk camp for the refugees in northern Darfour, according to the spokeswoman.

Meantime, a source close to the President of Chad, Idris Deibi, said yesterday that the army of Chad killed 69 member of Janjawid militias in a clash near Darfour borders. The source added that " a violent clash took place on Thursday between the Janjawid militias and the army of Chad in Beirak to the northern east of Chad. During the fighting, 69 of the Janjawid were killed and 2 injured." It was not explained whether losses were inflected on the Chad forces.