The International Organization for Migration warned that the expulsion of two of its officials from Sudan will adversely affect the organization’s relief efforts there.
“When two of our senior staff members who were heading our offices in Western Darfur and Southern Darfur are expelled, one has to understand that this will have an impact on our humanitarian programs in that part of the Sudan,” said IOM Spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy to Voice of America. “We have not yet fully assessed the impact of those expulsions, after all, the announcement was made very recently.”
The two IOM senior officials were expelled July 15 “for conducting activities conflicting with humanitarian operation and the agreement signed between the government and the organization,” said Sudanese Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Muawia Osamn Khalid in a press statement, according to the Sudan Vision.
The expelled aid officials were given only 72 hours to leave the country. IOM is currently negotiating with Sudanese authorities to reverse the decision.
After the departure of two IOM senior staff members, the organizations will have to rely on its 12 foreign and 70 local staff members, which will make operations harder for the humanitarian organization, according to Chauzy.
IOM transports all non-food items as humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in Darfur. It took over the role of another international aid agency, CARE, which was expelled, along with 12 other international relief organizations, in 2009.
