Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese authorities have blocked a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency team from travelling to Darfur to help thousands of newly-displaced people who are barely surviving, said a statement obtained Thursday.
This is the latest obstacle cited by foreign aid workers in the war-torn and impoverished nation where millions need humanitarian assistance.
MSF, whose French name is Medecins Sans Frontieres, said it planned to send three experienced staff to "launch initial life-saving emergency activities" for people in "particularly terrible conditions" at El Sereif camp near the South Darfur state capital Nyala.
"We do not understand why, when this team arrived in Khartoum, they were not granted permission to travel to the camp," Cyril Bertrand, MSF operations coordinator, said in the statement.
"Despite meetings at the highest levels of relevant government ministries, their travel permits continue to be blocked."
Sudanese aid officials could not be immediately reached to comment.
The denial of access comes after MSF admitted last month it is working in Sudan's South Kordofan region despite Khartoum's denial of access to parts of the state.
Sudan tightly restricted the movement of aid agencies in South Kordofan after fighting with rebels erupted there three years ago.
Since 2011, aid agencies have had no access into South Kordofan's rebel areas from within Sudan, although some foreign humanitarian groups operate in government-held zones of the state.
MSF said it "started cross-border operations as the government in Khartoum denied access to international NGOs despite the medical needs of the civilians".
This was the first confirmation that a foreign aid group has been able to enter and operate in areas of South Kordofan disputed between rebel and government forces, an extremely sensitive issue for Khartoum.
MSF issued the confirmation to AFP after Sudanese air force bombs hit the group's hospital in the village of Farandalla, South Kordofan, on June 16.
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