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Africa News afrol News
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Africa News afrol News
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afrol.com, 17 August - On Friday, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs in the Sudan, the Norwegian diplomat Tom Eric Vraalsen, will travel to Khartoum to meet with senior Sudanese officials and discuss matters concerning Operation Lifeline Sudan, the umbrella for humanitarian operations in that country. He is to arrive in Khartoum Saturday evening. Ambassador Vraalsen expects to be in Sudan through August 23, when he is to travel first to Nairobi, to meet with officials dealing with Operation Lifeline Sudan, and then to Geneva. In a related matter, humanitarian flights to Sudan, which were suspended last week following the aerial bombardment of airstrips used by Operation Lifeline Sudan, resumed on Wednesday. The Secretary-General made the decision to resume those flights following assurances from Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that all measures are being taken to ensure the safety of Operation Lifeline Sudan personnel and aircraft. In response to a question, the Spokesman said after the briefing that Vraalsen's visit had been a regular visit, planned in advance of recent events. During this visit, he will meet with authorities to ensure that Operation Lifeline Sudan enjoys safe, secure and complete access to all affected populations. The Secretary-General on 15 August said he trusted that the Government of the Sudan and other parties to the conflict will continue to honor fully their commitment to ensure the safety and security of relief workers and also of the vulnerable populations whose urgent needs are being addressed. Last Tuesday, the Secretary-General announced the temporary suspension of relief flights to Sudan following the repeated bombing of the southern town of Mapel, near facilities run by the World Food Programme and UN Children's Fund. Sources: Based on UN
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