UN agencies havewarned that Sudan's move to expel aid agencies could endanger more than amillion people and the action may constitute a war crime. Thirteen non-governmental agencies had their licenses revoked this week, afterthe International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese PresidentOmar al-Bashir. The ICC charges him with war crimes and crimes against humanityin Darfur. The groups include Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children.
UN spokesman Rupert Colville says denying aid to a conflict area may violateinternational law.
Sudanese officials accuse the aid groups of profiting from the conflict in Darfurand passing information to the ICC. The groups deny the allegations.
Mr. Bashir told thousands of supporters in Khartoum yesterday that the ICC'sdecision is part of a western conspiracy to re-colonize Sudan for its oil andother natural resources.
VOA English to Africa reporter KimLewis spoke with Selena Brewer, Sudan Researcher for Human Rights Watch in Londonabout the humanitarian impact of the expelling of aid agencies. She explained,"There is obviously a massive humanitarian effort in Darfur. There's more thantwo and a half million people who have been displaced by the conflict. They'reliving in displaced people's camps. They're very reliant on external aid toensure that they have basic needs: water, sanitation, healthcare."
She says there's alsoan additional two million people who've been affected by the conflict who arenot able to reach market or who are unable to farm. They are also reliant onsome form of aid.
"Now the government has turned around," she said, "and asked 13 agencies toleave Darfur, and between them they are covering between 50 and 70 percent ofthe humanitarian aid operation. So if you remove that life saving assistance tothe millions of people who are there, the result is that there are millions ofpeople left without basic needs like clean water and health care"