North Darfur 04 Sep 2006 - The International Rescue Committee is saddened to report the death of an IRC nurse during fighting in Hashaba, North Darfur, on Friday, Sept. 1. The victim, a 37-year-old Sudanese national, ran the IRC’s health center in Hashaba, about 100 kilometers north of El Fasher.

The health center, along with a pharmacy and guesthouse managed by the IRC, were also looted during the fighting there.

With this tragic death, the toll of humanitarian workers killed in Darfur since May rises to 12, a sign of the deteriorating security situation in the region.

The IRC, the sole health care provider in the Hashaba area, has not been able to access an estimated population of 85,000 for more than three months due to instability there. As a result, people in this area have been denied access to the basics of human survival. The IRC commends its Sudanese workers and volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to provide what services they can in these difficult circumstances.

The IRC calls upon all parties to the conflict in Darfur to cease targeting civilians and humanitarian workers. We hope to be able to access this area and resume providing humanitarian services as soon as possible.

In Darfur, the International Rescue Committee is providing humanitarian services, including primary health care, water and environmental sanitation, to 740,000 people in need. The IRC has been working in Sudan for 25 years and began operations in Darfur in 2004 in response to the humanitarian crisis there. Its Darfur work is supplemented by more than 1,100 “incentive workers,” such as the victim in Friday’s violence, who receive small stipends or other incentives for their efforts. They play a vital role in assisting the IRC with the provision of humanitarian assistance.

The International Rescue Committee extends its deepest sympathies to the family of the victim, a valued colleague and friend. His death is a loss for IRC Sudan and for the organization.

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a global leader in relief, rehabilitation, post-conflict development, advocacy and resettlement services for refugees and others uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.  The IRC is committed to restoring hope, freedom, dignity and self-reliance. 

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