Top of the Morning: Escalating Violence in Darfur; New EU Emergency Aid Mechanism

Top stories from DAWNS Digest.

Escalating Violence in Darfur

A number of incidents in recent days suggest a sharply deteriorating situation in Darfur. “The series of incidents began on 1 August when the Commissioner of the district of Alwaha, in Kutum town, and his driver were shot dead and his vehicle was carjacked by three unknown armed men. Later in the day, the official’s vehicle was recovered by Government of Sudan security agents 2 kilometres from the Kassab internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Subsequently, on the same day armed men surrounded Kassab, looted the market, burnt down the Sudanese Police post in the camp and reportedly killed four persons (three civilians and one police officer) and injured six others. Similar events leading to the deterioration in the security and humanitarian situation occurred the following days in and around Kutum town, Kassab and Fataborno IDP camps, including fighting between the armed elements and Government Forces, as well as looting and displacement of civilians. (UNAMID http://bit.ly/OLvnao)  Plus, hundreds were displaced from east Jebel Mara in North Darfur as the result of a Sudanese Armed Forces’ intensive bombing on east Jebel Mara throughout the week. (Radio Dbanga http://bit.ly/OLvdjf)

EU to Consider Emergency Aid Mechanism

Some interesting news out of the European Commission. “The European Union plans to examine ways to create an aid buffer for poor countries that are vulnerable to international financial and other shocks, the EU executive said on Monday. Many low-income countries depend economically on commodity exports, which are highly sensitive to factors such as financial market shocks, and to the weather. To help them survive such changes, a special EU fund could be ready for 2012-2013, the European Commission said. “The vulnerability of low-income countries to external shocks remains high,” the Commission said in a statement. “In 2012, the Commission will therefore examine the feasibility of developing a proposal for a shock-absorbing mechanism to be implemented as necessary during 2012-13, prioritising rapid and effective disbursement.” The Commission was presenting its annual aid report, which also said the European Union remained committed to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.” (AlertNet http://bit.ly/OLuXkb)