Khartoum: Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) Salwa Adam Beneya affirmed the government's full commitment and responsibility to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance wherever they are, citing serious impediments in areas where rebel militias operate.
According to Sudan News Agency, Beneya stated that civilians in militia-controlled areas face grave risks, including kidnapping, unlawful detention, and demands for financial ransom in exchange for their release. The HAC Commissioner made these remarks following a meeting held Wednesday with a delegation from the UN Panel of Experts on Darfur established under UN Security Council Resolution 1591.
Beneya explained that the delegation was briefed on the government's contributions and the facilities it provides to humanitarian organizations, particularly concerning visa issuance and measures to facilitate humanitarian corridors for civilians in both militia-controlled and other areas. She noted that enabling aid access across all regions falls within the state's core responsibilities.
She emphasized the need to respect national sovereignty and outlined to the UN delegation the operational impediments facing humanitarian work, including obstruction of aid delivery by rebel militias. Beneya also accused the militias of using starvation as a weapon against civilians and diverting aid trucks from their designated destinations.
The Commissioner highlighted that the Sudanese government has become less dependent on external grants and subsidies due to their scarcity and insufficiency in supporting humanitarian projects. Consequently, she noted that authorities have turned toward self-reliance, including purchasing food supplies directly and supporting the transport of assistance to vulnerable populations.
Beneya further mentioned that the government raised with the Panel of Experts the lack of implementation of UN Resolution 3627 regarding the lifting of the siege on El-Fashir, alongside Resolution 1591, warning that UN resolutions lose their value if they are not actively followed through and enforced.