HL Deb 10 December 1998 vol 595 cc113-5WA
Lord McNair

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in the Nuba Mountains. [HL203]

Baroness Amos

The Nuba Mountains are a conflict zone and civilians are being subjected to abuses from troops of both sides. In opposition-held areas there is diversion of humanitarian supplies leaving little for local people. There has been a large movement of people to the relative security of Government of Sudan areas, many of whom are held in "peace villages", set up by the government, where their freedom of movement is consequently restricted.

We remain concerned at the Government of Sudan's continued refusal to agree access to the Nuba Mountains by Operation Lifeline Sudan and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). We, together with the UN and ICRC will maintain pressure on the government to allow access to the Nuba and all vulnerable areas in the country.

Lord McNair

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are able to provide information about, and details of, the killings, during the summer of this year, of members of the Operation Lifeline Sudan assessment mission in the Nuba Mountains incident; and whether this has delayed the delivery of Operation Lifeline Sudan food aid to the Nuba Mountains. [HL204]

Baroness Amos

We understand from the UN that on 9 June 1998 a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy and its police escort were attacked in South Kordofan, close to the Nuba Mountains, in territory held by the Government of Sudan (GOS). Three Sudanese personnel were killed, two from WFP and one from the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC). Three more SRC personnel were injured. The incident occurred about 60 kilometres north east of Kadugli between the villages of Arie and Hadab. The WFP team had been returning from a food distribution to internally displaced people. They were not part of the OLS assessment team promised by Operation Lifeline Sudan as part of the Nuba Mountains access deal, which GOS had earlier agreed but subsequently refused.

Delivery of food aid is always adversely affected in instances of high insecurity currently prevailing in the Nuba Mountains and its surrounding area.

Lord McNair

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the assessment mission by Operation Lifeline Sudan in the Nuba Mountains that was attacked during the course of its work this summer was in any way in receipt of British funds. [HL205]

Baroness Amos

The Sudanese personnel who were attacked on 9 June 1998 were not members of the assessment mission. They were delivering food aid to internally displaced people in South Kordofan as part of the UN World Food Programme's Emergency Operation for Sudan, the funding of which was provided by donors, including the United Kingdom.

Lord McNair

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the Government of Sudan first offered al-Obeid, Malakal and Khartoum airports to Operation Lifeline Sudan for use in its delivery of food aid; and what financial saving resulted from using them for the delivery of food aid rather than by relying in deliveries from Kenya. [HL208]

Baroness Amos

The Government of Sudan has offered the use of airports in the north of the country for relief flights to the south for some years. Northern air strips were used this year for the first time. The difference in cost is not yet known, but a major independent study of Operation Lifeline Sudan, undertaken in 1996, concluded that savings from sourcing relief flights from northern Sudan would be marginal.

Real savings for the relief effort will come from maximising land routes, including rail, for delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable areas of southern Sudan. We are pressing the UN to make progress on this.

Lord McNair

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their assessment of the food security, food supply and humanitarian situation in southern Sudan. [HL207]

Baroness Amos

The major effort made by humanitarian agencies in southern Sudan this year has succeeded in stabilising the situation. Mortality rates have fallen in some of the worst hit areas in the south. But it is clear that this year's harvest will not be sufficient to pull the region out of its difficulties. The UN World Food Programme confirms that it has sufficient resources until the end of March 1999; but beyond then we expect there to be a need for further substantial humanitarian assistance for at least another year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is finalising its annual food crop assessment for Sudan which will predict food aid needs for the coming year. This will be incorporated into the 1999 UN Consolidated Appeal which will be released early in the new year.