Tragedy in Darfur is Manmade and Can be Stopped--Ramcharan

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Speaking in Geneva, the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, had these words:

In early May, I issued a report to the Commission on Human Rights outlining the human rights dimensions of the crisis that has been unfolding in western Sudan: in Darfur. I shall not go into its details today – it is a publicly available document – but I would like to emphasis three points.

First, the scale of the tragedy in Darfur would be difficult to believe if it were not for the terrible fact that it is a reality. As we meet here in these wonderful surroundings in Geneva, more than one million Sudanese from Darfur are existing – barely – in desperate circumstances. They have been subjected to systematic and egregious assaults on their most basic physical security. The consequence of this is a humanitarian crisis on a massive scale. Let me say it again: more than one million people are utterly vulnerable, living in a state of fear and without any means of protection. Added to this, they have the prospect of the ever more imminent rains to look forward to. We know all this, we have no excuse for not knowing it: now is the time not to assess but to act.

Second, and as I had intimated above, this humanitarian crisis has as its genesis, a human rights crisis. One led into the other as night follows day. It is not impersonal, unswayable elements that are behind this tragedy; this tragedy is entirely manmade.

Thirdly, and following on from this, this crisis is eminently soluble. It can be stopped and its impact – for the refugees and other displaced – can be reversed. This must be our focus here today.

Tragedy in Darfur is Manmade and Can be Stopped....

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The report is available in .pdf and .doc formats:

http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.2005.3.En?Opendocument

UNHCHR