By Jessie Schirrick Posted April 6, 2012
In a press release from whithouse.org, on April 3, the President approved the use of up to $26 million from the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to respond to the unexpected and urgent needs resulting from the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states of Sudan. The emergency funds will be utilized to support the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide lifesaving protection and assistance to the over 140,000 refugees who have fled the two states.
The United States is deeply concerned by the situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, especially as the violent clashes continue along the shared border with South Sudan. We continue to call upon the Government of Sudan to permit complete and unlimited access for international humanitarian agencies to South Kordofan and Blue Nile to provide emergency assistance to those in need.
The United States continues to call upon Sudan and South Sudan to exercise the largest restraint possible and to reach a compromised solution to the outstanding problems and disagreements between them. In particular, the United States urges Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to move forward with plans to meet in a peaceful environment to sign agreements on nationality and border issues and to reach an agreement on oil.