Catholic agencies urge warring Sudanese to ensure civilians' safety

Published: 2004-06-01

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- International Catholic aid agencies urged warring parties in Sudan's Darfur region to ensure the protection of civilians and to allow civilians access to humanitarian aid. A statement released by Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE, an international association of Catholic development agencies, said thousands of Sudanese were at risk of starvation and hunger without needed aid. The statement called for urgent action by the world community in response to the humanitarian crisis. Caritas and CIDSE represent 173 development and social services agencies working in more than 200 countries. The United Nations has estimated that about 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes by the ethnic conflict in Darfur and are now in great need of humanitarian assistance.

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