Minister of State Kitt to visit Darfur, Sudan

The Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Mr. Tom Kitt T.D., will visit the Darfur region of Sudan on 15-17 July. Minister Kitt will visit the region to assess the humanitarian situation and to meet with Irish NGOs and United Nations agencies implementing relief efforts funded by the Government. The Minister of State will also meet with the Sudanese authorities.

Announcing the visit, Minister Kitt said:

“The situation in Darfur remains one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. During Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, the Government made every effort to ensure that the issue of Darfur was highlighted internationally. It is now important to maintain this momentum and to see the situation for myself on the ground.

My message in visiting Darfur is that everything must be done to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers in order that emergency operations can continue unimpeded. In particular the Government of Sudan must stop the violence perpetrated by the Jingaweit militias and allow full access by humanitarian groups to Darfur.”

Minister of State Kitt also announced funding for the Darfur region amounting to over €1 million, for aid agencies Unicef, Oxfam and GOAL. This brings Ireland’s assistance to the region to €2.9 million since the crisis began.

Note for Editors: The funding for the Darfur region is part of the Government’s latest humanitarian package of assistance for some of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, including Liberia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Angola and the Great Lakes region of Africa. The latest humanitarian package amounts to €3.75 million. Top