Khartoum - A coordinative meeting would be held in Khartoum mid this month between the Commission for Voluntary Return in Darfur and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to discuss ways and means for provision of basic services to the citizens returning from refugee camps in Ethiopia, Chad and Central Africa Republic besides IDPs camps in Darfur as the states of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan have witness big flows of returnees from these areas.
Statistics by the Commission for Voluntary Return in Darfur show that some 200 villages have witnessed voluntary return of citizens a matter that calls for provision of all basic services to them including water, health, education and police stations. This poses great challenge for the donors and the international community of moving from the stage of relief to that of development and rehabilitation.

Figures Calling for Urgent Interventions:

Figures worked out by the Commission for Voluntary Return on the flow of voluntary returnees show that North Darfur State has received 71200 returnees, East Darfur 21600, West Darfur 65000, Central Darfur 32160, Blue Nile 29000, South Kordofan 66783 and West Kordofan 7500 returnees.
Commissioner of Voluntary Return Taj-Eddin Ibrahim has affirmed that the commission has mapped out a plan for 2018 constituting the peace program in its various axes, noting that the commission has implemented some 374 projects for the returnees covering fields of health, education, water and policing.
Developments that Contributed to the Voluntary Return:
The Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid, Ahmed Mohamed Adam, has praised the role played by the national, international, Arab and Islamic organizations in contributing to the stability of the returnees and enhancing the humanitarian situations.
He referred to the positive developments Sudan has witnessed in the past period including ending of the military operations in Darfur, arms collection campaign, extension of the cease-fire in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and the issuance of new directives for the humanitarian aid, that allowed more access for the international organizations in the country.
Adam affirmed that the commission has embarked on a new strategy of humanitarian aid in collaboration with the United Nations with the aim of shifting from emergency work to that of rehabilitation and development.
In the meantime, the National Congress Party (NCP) has reiterated the unswerving stance of the government towards the issue of peace in Sudan through the initiatives made by the party for completion of peace in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States by the end of 2018.

Humanitarian Aid to the Returnees:

The Humanitarian Aid Commission has staged a convoy of humanitarian aid for supporting the citizens returning from refugee camps in Ethiopia to the localities of Gissan, Bao and Wad Al-Mahi in Blue Nile State as part of the efforts of the commission for supporting the voluntary return process.
The Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid reiterated call on SPLM-N movement to resort wisdom and heed the call for peace so that the citizens would enjoy peace and stability.
He affirmed that the commission would continue extending humanitarian aid to all people at the war-affected areas, noting that the support convoy comes in the context of the efforts of the commission in collaboration with the Arab League after Blue Nile State had witnessed great stability that led to the return of thousands of Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia.
The aid convoy carried quantities of food materials that represent an urgent support to the returnees to improve their situations prior to starting their normal lives.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese Government has announced existence of positive indicators for realization of peace and stability in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States after the great transformation the two areas have witnessed.
Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, launching projects of the joint mechanism between the Sudanese Government and the Arab League in their fourth phase for supporting voluntary return in Darfur States, said the weapons collection campaign has realized positive results in boosting peace and stability a matter that led to increase of flow of voluntary returnees of refugees and IDPs to their areas in Darfur.
The Vice-President has called for doubling efforts for provision of the basic needs of the returnees, commending the role being played by the Arab League in supporting the process of peace and stability in Sudan as well as that of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in making available basic services to the returnees.
He referred to the transfer of aid from the stage of relief to that of development and rehabilitation, noting that the government has set up two committees for supporting the voluntary return process one of which is headed by the Ministry of Interior to secure the returnees and the other for providing other support to the process.
Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid Ahmed Mohamed Adam explained that the fourth phase of supporting the voluntary return process aims at implementation of service complexes in ten states including the five states of Darfur, Blue Nile, eastern Sudan and South Kordofan at the cost of 10 million dollars.