No Genocide, Mass Rapes In Darfur: WHO

They acknowledged, however, that there is a "humanitarian catastrophe" in the province aggravated by fighting between rebels and the government forces.

"Reports submitted by the WHO employees have not mentioned any acts of ethnic cleansing, genocide or mass rapes as claimed by western human rights organizations," Dr Hussein Gezairy, Regional Director of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, told IslamOnline.net correspondent in Darfur.

"The main problem we are facing here is a humanitarian one due to the health conditions of displaced people," he averred.

The WHO official also asserted that the "situation in Darfur is not much different from that in the rest of Sudan which suffers a development crisis like most African countries."

"There are political powers seeking to condemn Sudan through claims of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur," Dr Gezairy said.

An official in the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) group agreed.

In statements published Wednesday, July 28, by the Egyptian daily Al-Akhbar, he regretted the frequent use of expressions that do not reflect the facts on the ground and only fall within a propagation campaign.

"What is going on in Darfur is not genocide but rather a humanitarian tragedy," said the MSF official.

On Thursday, July 22, the US House Of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution describing the situation in Darfur a "genocide ."

However, Sudanese officials and experts have refuted the claims and warned of plots targeting the unity of the oil-exporting country.

Harming Sanctions

Dr Gezairy warned that "any sanctions slapped against Sudan would stymie the cooperation shown by the Sudanese government with relief agencies."

The Who official exhorted western countries to "back the cooperation currently shown by Khartoum instead of indicting it, a matter that would aggravate the situation in Darfur and the Sudan in general."

The MSF official echoed similar conviction.

"Imposing sanctions on Sudan under the pretext of genocide acts in Darfur would harm and not improve relief works."

A US draft resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan in 30 days was met with opposition in the UN Security Council on Wednesday, July 28, amid calls to give the Sudanese government more time to rein in militias in Darfur.

Seven of the Council’s 15 members pressed the US to soften a threat of UN sanctions against Khartoum it failed to disarm Janajaweed militias in Darfur.

Rumors

Dr. Mansour Hassan, who championed an Egyptian medical envoy to Darfur, agreed with the WHO official.

"The catastrophic situation in Darfur can not be denied but rumors about organized rape and genocide are but attempts by the western states to indict the Sudanese government," he said.

"We have examined more than 27,000 cases, mostly women, and never heard of a case of forced pregnancy," Dr. Hassan, whose medical team visited six camps of displaced Darfuris, told IOL.

The head of the Egyptian medical convoy also refuted allegations of genocide acts in Darfur.

"Around 99% of the families he saw in the camps were ‘complete families’ that have not been exposed to any such acts of genocide."

Dr. Hassan said his team performed several surgeries, rarely involving gun shots injuries.

Misleading Displacement

On the number of people displaced because of the conflict in Darfur, a WHO official told IOL on condition of anonymity it would be very hard to give an accurate figure, citing "misleading cases."

"A large number of the locals living in villages adjacent to camps have registered themselves as displaced to get privileges such as food, water and healthcare services," he asserted.

"Officials in charge of one camp in Darfur submitted a list putting the number of the displaced people in the camp at 47,000. However, we found out that the actual number does not exceed 11,000."

The WHO official regretted that the rest flock to the camp in the morning to get a share of aide offered by international relief agencies and then go home in the evening.

He also charged that some mayors and some trial leaders sell relief registration cards to villagers against a sum of money amounting to 20 dollars per person.

Overall the UN estimates the costs of humanitarian relief at US 240 million dollars.

To date, less than half of that has been pledged. WHO requires about US$ 1.2 million per month to carry out its operations in the three Darfur States.

The UN says the Darfur conflict displaced around a million people and killed 30,000 others.

Sudanese research centers question the figures and estimate those killed at 2000, including civilians, pro-government forces and rebels.