Darfuri IDPs feel tangible benefits from Chinese assistance

NYALA, Sudan, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sakali Camp, one of the many camps for those internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan's western region Darfur, Tuesday witnessed a warm scene as hundreds of women in the camp gathered around visiting Chinese envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin, singing and dancing for him.

Children in the camp, at the outskirts of Nyala, capital of South Darfur State, were also eager to express their feelings. They turned up their thumbs and continued repeating "Ok!" towards the Chinese delegation led by Liu, who flied into the town from the Sudanese capital Khartoum earlier in the day for a one-day visit to Darfur.

Liu, who was just going to leave the camp after a visit, was clearly touched by their sentiment. He waved to them firstly, but as more Darfuri IDPs, women and men, gathered around him, he decided to speak to them and express his own feelings.

"I want to tell you that the Chinese government and its people are sympathetic to you. You have been suffering a lot. And I am really happy to see you benefiting solidly from Chinese assistance," Liu said in Chinese. His female interpreter in her 20s was forced to raise her voice as loud as possible to forward the envoy's meaning to the excited crowd.

"The Chinese government will continue to provide more humanitarian assistance to you, to our Sudanese brothers and sisters," Liu said, winning loud applause and shrill sounds made by those women with their tongues.

SAKARI CAMP

Within the camp, an IDP representative told Liu in a simple meeting room that they were most happy to receive assistance from Chinese brothers. This month, a total of 103 families in the camp has received various humanitarian goods donated by China and other nations, he said.

The representative said his camp had set up a training unit to teach IDPs how to build permanent houses and how to assemble those removable rooms provided by China, which were used as temporary school rooms now for children in the camp.

El-Hadi Adam Huni, a tribe leader in the camp, told Liu that hewas grateful for China's support for Sudan in every aspect and for China's humanitarian assistance to IDPs in the strife-torn Darfur. He noted that over 300 families in the camp had been given arable land by the transitional authorities in South Darfur.

"We moved here from the Kalma Camp, and life here is better and happier," he said, referring to South Darfur's decision last year to move some IDP families from Kalma and resettle them with a new camp owing to continuous violence in the Kalma Camp, located some 15 km outside Nyala.

Liu told the two men and some 30 other IDPs that China had provided considerable humanitarian assistance to Darfur in the last few years, particularly in 2007 during which China provided material assistance worth 80 million Chinese yuan (about 11 million U.S. dollars) to Darfur.

These aid materials included mosquito nets, water barrels, water tanks, generators and removable rooms, etc., which are really useful here in Darfur's IDP camps, said Liu, adding that China will provide more assistance for Darfur this year and afterwards.

As to the popular demand for more drinking water, Liu told themthat a Chinese company was working very hard against the harsh weather conditions on a key water-supply project for Nyala, which costs over 50 million U.S. dollars with a Chinese soft loan.

The project, whose construction began early this year, is designed to pump water from deep wells in the village of Gride and use a 85-km pipeline to bring water to Nyala for its households. The project is scheduled to be finished in September of 2009 and it will be able to provide at least 40,000 tons of clean water to Nyala upon completion, Liu said, drawing cheers and applause.

"Nearly 100 Chinese workers and over 200 Sudanese are currently working for the project, defying scorching temperature, speedy wind and sand storms," said the envoy, who was on the second visit to Darfur since his appointment last May.

OTASH CAMP AND BEYOND

Before the Sakali Camp, the Chinese envoy visited another Nyalacamp called Otash, where IDP representatives expressed their gratitude to assistance and aid projects from China while demanding more water and more non-food aid.

Sheihk Abdu-Rahman, member of a committee in charge of managing the Otash Camp, said people in his camp know of those generous assistance that was provided by China for Darfur. IDPs in the camp hoped that China could continue to provide more aid and help Darfuris to end their suffering, he said.

In response, Liu said that he had learnt some of IDPs' difficulties and hardship, while he promised that China will continue to offer assistance to Darfur. "The Chinese government is preparing necessary budget, and we will provide more aid to our brothers and sisters in Darfur," he said.

Liu also told Otash's IDP representatives about Nyala's water- supply project. In addition, the envoy said that China has been helping and financing the digging of 46 deep wells in two of the three Darfur states, namely South Darfur and North Darfur. Of the46 wells, 26 are scattered in North Darfur while the other 20 are in South Darfur, which is the largest state in Darfur with its population accounting for 60 percent of Darfur's total.

China has also been helping to construct 20 small-sized power stations in Darfur, with 18 finished and the other two under construction, said Liu.

MORE EFFORTS NEEDED TO END DARFURI SUFFERING

Liu said the humanitarian situation Darfur is making some improvements, especially in South Darfur and North Darfur. Though so, Darfuris are still suffering a lot owing to years of conflict and turmoil, he said.

"The Chinese and their government are greatly sympathetic to their suffering and hardship, and China is willing to provide more help," Liu said, urging the international community to make more efforts to end Darfur's humanitarian problems in three aspects.

Firstly, Liu said, the UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping forces should be deployed in Darfur as soon as possible, which is aimed to protect Darfuris and give them a more stable environment.

Secondly, Darfur's security should be enhanced, which calls for an involvement of all rebels groups in the political process, he said. Rebel groups should resume peace negotiations with the Khartoum government to work out a peace agreement and bring conflicts to an end.

Thirdly, the international community should work together, provide tangible and palpable assistance for Darfur and help Darfuris overcome difficulties on the ground, instead of making empty talks and exerting pressures, he said.

Liu arrived in Khartoum on Sunday for a four-day visit in Sudan, which is his fourth tour since his appointment.

Liu, a 62-year-old veteran diplomat and former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa, has been engaged in African affairs for more than 25 years. Since resuming his current post, he had paid three visits to Sudan and also shuttled between the United States, Britain, Egypt and other countries concerned, making unremitting efforts to resolving the Darfur issue.