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U.N. forced to cut food aid to Sudan
Donor nations gave only 32 percent of food program's funding needs

Friday, April 28, 2006; Posted: 8:31 a.m. EDT (12:31 GMT)

GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) -- The United Nations said on Friday it would cut food rations for more than 6 million people in Sudan, half of them in Darfur, because of a severe lack of funds.

Many donor countries appear to have tired of the long-term conflict in Darfur, despite signs that malnutrition is again on the rise among people living in squalid camps, the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) said.

WFP said it was halving food aid from the minimum daily requirement of 2,100 calories to 1,050 calories as of May.

"This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Haven't the people of Darfur suffered enough? Aren't we adding insult to injury?" WFP Executive Director James Morris said.

"This is a measure we should simply never have to take," said Morris, who heads the world's largest food aid agency, feeding 90 million people worldwide.

The Rome-based agency had only received $238 million, or 32 percent, of its annual appeal of $746 million for Sudan. Africa's largest country is emerging from civil war in the south as talks continue on a peace deal to end a conflict in Darfur.

Spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume told a news briefing: "It is scandalous, but we have no choice."

Fighting erupted in Darfur in 2003 when mostly non-Arab tribes took up arms over land and water resources, accusing the government of neglect. Khartoum is accused of arming mainly Arab militia who began a murder, rape, and looting campaign that killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than 2 million -- a catastrophe that has been labeled a genocide targeting the Africans of Darfur by the global community.

"There is probably some donor fatigue. The conflict has been going on a long time. And there is no solution in sight," Berthiaume said.

The United States was the largest donor at $188 million, it said, while Italy was the only major European country to contribute so far ($1.2 million).

"WFP is particularly concerned about the effect of reduced rations in Darfur, where rampant insecurity continues to cause enormous suffering," WFP said in a statement.

The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) has already reported increased malnutrition rates in the region this year.

The WFP said the cuts would allow limited food stocks to last longer into the annual "hunger season", from July to September, when needs are greatest ahead of the harvest.

The WFP estimates that 2,100 calories a day is the minimum daily requirement needed to stay in good health.

Sudan accepts Darfur peace deal

Sunday, April 30, 2006; Posted: 7:18 a.m. EDT (11:18 GMT)

ABUJA, Nigeria (Reuters) -- The Sudanese government has accepted the African Union's proposal for peace in Darfur, a government statement said.

"The government ... wishes to confirm its decision to formally accept this document and its readiness to sign it," said a statement from Majzoub al-Khalifa, head of the government's negotiating team at peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday.

"The government wishes to confirm its full commitment to implement the agreement in good faith. The delegation is also fully convinced that any difficulties that might come up in the implementation stages can be resolved by consensus between all the parties."

The rebels have yet to respond officially to the 85-page document but several of their leaders complain that it does not meet their key demands, in particular on power sharing.

The government statement was the latest in a series to try to convince them to drop some of their demands and rely on conflict resolution mechanisms embedded in the agreement.

Sunday was the deadline set by the African Union for the parties to wrap up two years of talks to end the conflict in western Sudan.

Rebels took up arms in ethnically mixed Darfur in early 2003 over what they saw as neglect by the Arab-dominated central government.

Khartoum used proxy Janjaweed militias drawn from Arab tribes to crush the rebellion. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people while a campaign of arson, looting and rape has driven more than 2 million from their homes into refugee camps in Darfur and neighboring Chad.

A truce was signed in 2004 but all sides have continued fighting, says the AU which has 7,000 peacekeepers in Darfur.

Diplomats in Abuja made intense efforts on Saturday to persuade the rebels to drop some demands, while in the United States the government of Sudan faced pressure to end violence.

Bush said "genocide in Sudan is unacceptable" and endorsed a series of "Save Darfur" rallies taking place across the United States on Sunday, organized by a coalition of more than 160 religious and humanitarian groups.

"I want the Sudanese government to understand the United States of America is serious about solving this problem," Bush said.

The United States says it has taken the international lead on Sudan, but many experts say it has not been tough enough on Khartoum and failed to enlist powers such as Russia or China.

Bush announced new sanctions on Thursday against people suspected of aiding genocide in Darfur.

NATO ministers on Friday said they were ready to increase assistance in Darfur, but agreed any presence would be limited and only in support of AU or U.N. efforts.