24 May 2007
Most aid groups not free to speak about Darfur, say Reuters AlertNet survey
Aid workers fear talking about widespread rape and attacks will endanger their work
LONDON/NEW YORK – Most aid agencies in Darfur cannot speak openly about the humanitarian situation in the violent west of Sudan for fear of jeopardising their work or being expelled, according to a Reuters AlertNet poll to be released on Thursday, May 24.
Reuters AlertNet is a humanitarian news and information website run by the Reuters Foundation.
Four-fifths of those surveyed said they could not talk about who was behind attacks on civilians and aid workers. More than two-thirds could not discuss rape.
AlertNet’s editor, Martyn Broughton, says the results show the world may not always be aware of what’s going on in Darfur because information is suppressed.
“The aid agencies are telling us that they are staying quiet because they don’t want to risk their work with the people in the camps,” Broughton says.
“Journalists and the public depend on those agencies to know what’s going on. But we’ve shown that they’re afraid to talk. Self-censorship may be another crisis in Darfur.”
Forty-six international aid agencies took part in the survey conducted by Reuters AlertNet.
• 65% said they could not speak openly about the humanitarian situation
• 78% could not talk about who was behind attacks
• 59% could not speak about restrictions on their work
• 70% could not comment on the incidence of rape
“Rape is a completely taboo subject. The Sudanese government does not want to hear about it,” one aid worker told Reuters AlertNet.
Rights organisations have accused Arab militias known as Janjaweed of widespread rape as part of a terror campaign in Darfur, but Khartoum says rape is not part of Sudanese culture.
Aid operations have been targeted by the Janjaweed, rebel groups and bandits since the crisis flared in 2003. But many aid workers were reluctant to identify the perpetrators of attacks for fear of reprisals.
“I'm thinking all the time about the security of our staff - if there could be any retribution. That’s our main concern,” one agency official said.
Most of the agencies polled said they could talk about aid deliveries, food shortages and conditions in camps for Darfuris uprooted by the conflict.
Ends
For further information and interviews on the poll’s findings, contact:
Martyn Broughton (London): +44 207 542 8655 / martyn.broughton@reuters.com
Megan Rowling (New York): +44 7968 349 515 / megan.rowling@reuters.com
P.R. Contacts:
Sophie Brendel (London): +44 207 542 0496 / sophie.brendel@reuters.com
Ty Trippet (New York): +1 646 223 4386 / ty.trippet@reuters.com
Coverage of the poll will appear on the Reuters AlertNet website www.alertnet.org on May 24.This poll is released in conjunction with a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York.
REUTERS NEWSMAKER: DEALING WITH DARFUR -- WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Reuters and Reuters AlertNet invite you to hear a panel of experts debate the situation in Darfur. As security deteriorates, violence grows, resources dwindle and concerns mount over the effectiveness of peacekeepers and aid workers in Darfur, questions abound as to what the future holds for Western Sudan.
Topics under the spotlight include: the responsibilities of the international community; how the gap can be narrowed between Khartoum and the majority of U.N. members; and why Darfur has sparked more international attention than other forgotten African conflicts.
PANEL:
Paul Holmes, Reuters (moderator), Reuters Global Editor for Political & General News
Hedi Annabi, Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, U.N.
Ann Curry, Anchor, NBC News
Mia Farrow, Actor & UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Lauren Landis, Senior Representative, Sudan, U.S. Department of State
Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, Sudanese Ambassador to the U.N.
John Prendergast, International Crisis Group
WHEN: Thursday, 24 May, 2007, New York City 9:30AM, Panel debate and broadcast to begin promptly at 10AM
For full details, please contact Samatha Topping on +1 646 223 5223, or Samantha.topping@reuters.com
Notes for Editors
1. Reuters AlertNet polled 51 international aid agencies over the last month. The vast majority did not want to be named for fear of possible repercussions. Five organisations declined to take part.
2. Aid operations have come under attack from militias, rebels and bandits. As of mid-May, 34 aid workers had been killed, 30 had been kidnapped and 124 had been wounded in serious attacks since 2004. (Source: Center on International Cooperation, New York University)
3. The conflict in Darfur flared when rebels rose up against the government in February 2003, saying Khartoum had neglected the area. Khartoum denies accusations it has used Arab militia, known as Janjaweed, to quell the revolt.
4. The United Nations has described Sudan's western Darfur region as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Civilians have been attacked by government troops, Janjaweed and rebels. At least 200,000 people have been killed, and some 2.5 million, mostly farmers and villagers from non-Arab groups, have fled their homes.
5. For further background information on the origins of the crisis, as well as recent developments, see AlertNet’s briefing on the Darfur conflict: http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/SD_DAR.htm
6. For a humanitarian reporting toolkit – including key humanitarian statistics, aid worker press contacts, media monitoring services and a weekly “heads up” newsletter – see AlertNet for Journalists: http://www.alertnet.org/mediabridge/
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About AlertNet
Reuters AlertNet is a humanitarian news network based around a popular website. It aims to keep relief professionals and the wider public up-to-date on humanitarian crises around the globe.