Statement attributable to the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Mr. Ali Al-Za'tari on direct talks between the Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North

KHARTOUM, Sudan, April 17, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Sudan, Mr. Ali Al-Za'tari, welcomes the invitation of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) to the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N) to engage in direct talks in Addis Ababa and hopes that the talks will commence as soon as possible. Mr. Al-Za'tari appeals to the Government of Sudan and the SPLM-N to put the humanitarian situation at the top of the agenda for these talks.

After almost two years of armed conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile there is an undeniable duty by all concerned to meet the immediate and critical humanitarian needs of war-affected civilians. Over a million people have been either internally displaced or severely affected and over 200,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries.

“I am certain none of the involved parties want this level of human suffering to continue any longer,” said Mr. Al-Za'tari. “What we all desire now is for the fighting to stop and for the humanitarian community to freely access the affected areas so that they can cooperate with the local authorities to immediately restore essential services and to help people to return to their homes and start rebuilding their lives."