Khartoum — The Acting Foreign Minister Ambassador Ali Al-Sadih met Monday with a number of senior United Nations officials visiting Sudan, including the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, the Regional Director of the World Food Program and the Operations Director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The minister welcomed the UN officials and expressed the thanks and appreciation of the Government of Sudan for what these organizations have provided and still are doing in various fields, calling for more efforts in the fields of health, education, water and food to alleviate the suffering of the affected Sudanese people who suffered greatly as a result of leaving their homes and were forced to flee outside Khartoum due to the war waged by the rebel forces against the state and the citizens.

The minister was briefed by the UN officials and their plans and programs for the coming period.

The minister also talked about the current agricultural season and the need to make it a success by providing seeds, fertilizers and production inputs to contribute to filling any potential food gaps.

He also touched on education and the importance of creating the environment for the resumption of studies on time and rebuilding and maintaining schools.

He also talked about the humanitarian aid through Chad that the United Nations wishes to provide to the affected people in Darfur region, and that the government also encourages the purchase of foodstuffs from the local market.

With regard to the international organizations requesting the Sudanese government to provide more facilities for granting entry visas and movement permits for international staff and clearing shipments of humanitarian aid, the minister stressed that the government is doing its best to cooperate with the international organizations in this regard, but the safety of international staff and preserving their lives is the responsibility of the Sudanese government and attaches the utmost importance to it.

At the end of the meeting, the minister responded to the UN officials' comment on the need for the government to stop the war, that the evacuation of the Rapid Support militia from citizens' homes and government facilities and stopping the violations they are carrying out is the only way to stop the war. BH/BH