New UN relief chief appeals for more aid access to Sudan: UN

In his first field visit, the new UN relief chief appealed on Monday to the authorities in war-torn Sudan to increase access for relief and humanitarian workers.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, who replaced Martin Griffiths last week, said in a letter from Port Sudan to the humanitarian community that his first mission was to Sudan and neighboring Chad.

"The top objectives are to scale up access to those we need to support, increase the visibility of the crisis, back our HCs (humanitarian coordinators) and teams in country as they grip coordination of vital aid and listen and learn," Fletcher said. "The crisis is dire, with over half of the Sudanese population in need of help, and 20,000 people displaced every day, on average."

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Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said Fletcher met with Sudanese authorities, including General Burhan, president of the Transitional Sovereign Council.

Dujarric said that in Fletcher's meetings, "he discussed ways to address constraints to the delivery of aid; the need to increase the presence of humanitarian personnel in areas worst affected by the crisis to scale up the response; and how to increase the delivery of aid across borders and across conflict lines."

The spokesman said Fletcher also wants to bring attention to the suffering of civilians nationwide. The new relief chief found the crisis "one of staggering proportions and it demands the world's attention."

On Sunday in Kassala, Dujarric said, Fletcher visited a center for children without parental care who had to be evacuated due to the violence. He also visited a camp for displaced people.

Dujarric added that the World Food Programme has a second domestic line for the UN Humanitarian Air Service. The first flight from Port Sudan to Dongola, in Northern State, was completed on Sunday.

"This new flight will enable humanitarian workers to expand their presence in northern Sudan and travel more quickly to Al Dabbah, a key transfer point for sending aid," he said.