Page 6 - aruba-today-20230821

A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 21 august 2023
Global aid official appeals for funds to help Sudanese trapped in

war between generals

By SAMY MAGDY of the Ukraine is a good
Associated Press example. That's how the
CAIRO (AP) — A global aid world community can
official urged the interna- come together. We need
tional community Sunday a similar solidarity for Sudan
to provide more funds to now," he said.
help Sudanese citizens Along with the $45 million
trapped by a monthslong needed to help those in-
military conflict between side Sudan, Chapagain
rival generals in the African said another $35 million is
nation. needed to provide assis-
Jagan Chapagain, the tance to those who fled the
secretary-general of the fighting to Sudan's neigh-
International Federation of boring countries.
Red Cross and Red Cres- His comments came follow-
cent Societies, said his or- ing a trip to the Egyptian
ganizations have received border with Sudan, where
only 7% of the $45 million he met with customs of-
they appealed for to help ficials and Sudanese refu-
those inside Sudan. The war gees who fled the fight-
pits the military against the ing in Khartoum. Egypt re-
powerful paramilitary Rap- ceived more than 272,000
id Support Forces. Sudanese as of Aug. 1, ac-
"The needs are real," he told Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red cording to official figures.
The Associated Press in an Crescent Societies (IFRC) speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, Lebanon, Although the operations
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.
interview in Cairo. "Suda- Associated Press at the Egyptian side of the
nese people need urgent border were organized, he
support, urgent solidarity care system has nearly col- killing and displacing civil- inside Sudan, according to said, there were long lines
and urgent interest." lapsed. The sprawling re- ians, according to the U.N. the United Nations' migra- for people on the Suda-
Sudan was plunged into gion of Darfur saw some of mission in Sudan. tion agency. nese side waiting to be al-
chaos in April when sim- the worst bouts of violence In al-Fula, the provincial Over a million crossed into lowed into Egypt. He said
mering tensions between in the conflict, and the capital of West Kordofan, neighboring countries, in- between 400 and 600 peo-
the military, led by Abdel fighting there has morphed fighting erupted for days cluding Egypt, Chad, South ple are crossing daily into
Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, into ethnic clashes with RSF between the military and Sudan, Ethiopia and Cen- Egypt compared to thou-
commanded by Moham- and allied Arab militia tar- the RSF before local officials tral African Republic, the sands in the first weeks of
med Hamdan Dagalo, ex- geting ethnic African com- helped stop the clashes, agency added. the war.
ploded into open fighting munities. the U.N. mission, known as Chapagain called for the The Egyptian government
in the capital, Khartoum, Clashes also intensified UNITAMS, said Sunday. But international community had allowed women and
and elsewhere. earlier this month in the government offices, banks to show the same solidarity children to cross without vi-
The conflict has turned provinces of South Kordo- and the offices of the U.N. with Sudanese people they sas in the first weeks of the
Khartoum and other ur- fan and West Kordofan. A and other aid agencies showed last year when war, but in June it began
ban areas into battlefields. rebel group attacked Ka- were looted, it said they rushed to help those requiring visas for all Suda-
Many residents live with- dugli, the provincial capi- More than 3.4 million peo- who fled Russia's invasion nese citizens despite ob-
out water and electricity, tal of South Kordofan and ple were forced to flee of Ukraine. jections from activists and
and the country's health clashed with the military, their homes to safer areas "I see the humanitarian side rights groups.q

U.S. cancels visas of 100 more

Nicaraguan officials for their role in

‘undermining democracy’

fice "has taken steps to im- testers. He was sentenced to treason.
pose visa restrictions on 100 to 26 years in prison, af- The State Department had
Nicaraguan officials who ter he refused to board a previously pulled the visas
restrict Nicaraguans' hu- plane carrying exiles to the of top Nicaraguan officials,
man rights and undermine United States in February. as well as judges who con-
democracy." Ortega jailed dozens of op- victed the opposition lead-
"We call on the regime to position figures in order to ers and legislators who had
A banner emblazoned with an image of Nicaragua's President unconditionally and imme- win a fourth consecutive cooperated in banning
Daniel Ortega is waved by a supporter in Managua, Nicaragua, diately release Bishop Ál- term in 2021 elections that NGOs and civic groups.
April 30, 2018. varez and all those unjustly were broadly criticized as It previously imposed visa
Associated Press detained," Blinken wrote. a farce. He has also out- restrictions on 116 individu-
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, lawed dozens of nongov- als linked to the Ortega
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The in supporting the regime of an outspoken critic of the ernmental organizations. regime, "including may-
U.S. State Department on President Daniel Ortega. Nicaraguan government, Since then, dozens of op- ors, prosecutors, university
Saturday imposed visa re- Secretary of State Antony was jailed by the Ortega re- ponents have been tried or administrators, as well as
strictions on 100 more Nica- Blinken wrote in his social gime for supposedly help- convicted in brief trials on police, prison, and military
raguan officials for their role media accounts that his of- ing anti-government pro- vague charges equivalent officials."q