More than 70 000 dead in Sudan

2005-03-10 11:44

Nick Wadhams

New York - Far more people have died in Sudan's ravaged Darfur region than the 70 000 reported since last year, and many of those deaths were from preventable causes like pneumonia and diarrhoea, the United Nations humanitarian chief said on Wednesday.

Getting an accurate count of the dead from Darfur's two-year conflict has been extremely difficult because of the size and remoteness of much of the region. It is known that thousands have died from the fighting and many thousands more from disease or hunger.

Egeland said the 70 000 figure was released when there were one million internally displaced people in Darfur, but that number has now doubled to two million. As the number of people who have fled increases, the number who die of malnutrition or a host of other reasons also goes up, he said.

"Is it three times that, is it five times that, I don't know, but it's several times the number of 70 000 that have died altogether," Egeland told reporters shortly after returning from a four-day trip to the region.

Money is needed

"The biggest killer has been systematical I think in Darfur - diarrhoea, pneumonia and many other preventable diseases," Egeland said.

The Darfur conflict began after two non-Arab rebel groups took up arms against the Arab-dominated government in February 2003 to win more political and economic rights for the region's African tribes.

Sudan's government is accused of responding by backing the Janjaweed militia in a campaign of wide-scale abuses, including rape and killings, against Sudanese of African origin. The government denies backing the Janjaweed.

Egeland has repeatedly prodded international donors to contribute more money for Darfur and the rest of Sudan, which is only now recovering from a devastating civil war between the north and the south, separate from Darfur.

A peace agreement was signed last year ending the 21-year civil war, but will remain vulnerable unless more money is given, Egeland said.

Egeland said that instead of the two million internally displaced people who now need assistance in Darfur could be between three million and four million who, while back on their land, would still need help. The conflict has paralysed farmers and cattle herders, and fields are not being tilled, he said.

Only 61% of the $691m sought for Darfur has been donated, while of $563.8m sought for the south, just $51m has been given, Egeland said.

The situation is even worse for central and northern Sudan.

Egeland said those shortfall wouldn't stop the United Nations from doing its work. - AP

- SAPA