Darfur: UN-AU Envoy Meets With World Bank Officials
New York, Sep 2 2010 11:10AM
The head of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur today called for World Bank assistance
to ensure that the “dividends of peace are made evident” to promote a sustainable peace in the war-ravaged Sudanese
region.
During their talks in Khartoum, Ibrahim Gambari, Joint Special Representative of the mission, known as "http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unamid/" UNAMID, and Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for Africa, agreed that the two bodies will continue to
explore ways to further early recovery and development in Darfur.
Mr. Gambari said that UNAMID, while pressing ahead with its core mandate of protecting and delivering aid to those in
need, will explore ways to support the UN Country Team and its partners.
For her part, the World Bank official emphasized the World Bank’s primary responsibility lies in improving the quality
of life for Darfurians, especially in the area of poverty reduction. A $4 billion Peace Fund could be stretched to cover
Darfur, she said, but voiced concern over the challenges posed by insecurity in the region.
As many as 2.7 million Darfurians live as internally displaced persons (IDPs) or as refugees in neighbouring countries
as a result of the seven-year-old conflict in the western region of Sudan that has also resulted in an estimated 300,000
deaths.
ENDS