News from the United Nations 21.8.08

News from the United Nations 21.8.08: On the eve of the South Sudan census, Sudan news floods from the United Nations

Last Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon endorsed the upcoming South Sudan census.  The census is being conducted in preparation for the 2011 election in South Sudan.  It is widely believe that the Southern region of Sudan will vote to succeed from North.  While the election is wildly supported in the International community, many world leaders are concerned that it will spark open war between the North and the South, further exasperating regional violence.  Some are concerned that violence between the North and South could put strain on countries like neighboring Chad that are already burdened by refugees spilling across the border.  The census is scheduled for 22 April, 2008.

on Refugees In Chad, approximately 8,000 refugees remain on the Western Sudanese border.  The border is one of the most volatile regions of the conflict.  The United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) has reportedly been able to transfer 5,400 refugees to camps on the Sudan-Chad border.  According to UNHCR, 9 out of every 10 refugees is a woman or child.

Over the weekend, the United Nations temporarily pulled a significant number of aid workers from the Darfur region of Sudan.  The retreat came in the midst of United Nations and African Union talks with tribal leaders in an attempt to quell continued regional violence.  The United Nations African Union Mission In Darfur (UNAMID) is  a joint-peacekeeping operation designed to serve both as a buffer between the people and violent outbreaks, and as an occasional assertive fighting force.  The UN hopes to reach a political solution between the Sudanese government in Khartoum and various waring tribes. 

Web services giant Google continues to work with the United Nations to provide real-time updates of the violence in Sudan via it’s map platform Google Earth.  To see maps of current areas of violence, pictures, and video of theDarfur crisis, visit the United States Holocaust Museum and download the Google Earth layer.