Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Red Cross aid workers leave Chad after threat
03 Jul 2008 13:41:48 GMT
 Source: Reuters
GENEVA, July 3 (Reuters) - The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has pulled its aid workers from Chad after a security threat, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The Federation, the world's largest disaster relief network, had three or four aid workers in the capital N'Djamena to support the Chadian Red Cross, according to Federation spokesman Jean-Luc Martinage.

"We have withdrawn our delegates (officials) for security reasons temporarily," Martinage told Reuters on Thursday.

"When there is a precise security threat we always withdraw our people," he said, declining to be more specific.

Chad has suffered waves of violence over the last few years, including raids over the eastern border from Sudan by Janjaweed militia and attacks by anti-government rebels, as well as bloody clashes between Arab and non-Arab communities.

Chad said on Wednesday its security forces in a southeastern village had killed 66 followers of an Islamic spiritual leader who was threatening to launch a holy war against Christians and atheists from Africa to Europe.

The Chadian Red Cross, which the Federation workers were helping, runs two camps in eastern Chad for Sudanese refugees from Darfur.

Oil-producing neighbours Chad and Sudan have long accused each other of supporting insurgent groups hostile to each other, and rebel attacks across the border in both directions over the last two months once again brought them close to all-out war.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a separate Geneva-based aid organisation, said its operations were not affected by the Federation's decision.

The ICRC deploys 280 people in Chad, including 100 expatriates, who mainly assist Chadians who have fled fighting.

"We are continuing our operations," ICRC spokeswoman Anna Schaaf said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Mary Gabriel)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  Chad: Before the Rainy Season
Refugees International - USA

•  Air Serv International Appoints new CEO
Air Serv International

•  Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children releases landmark report on refugees with disabilities in countries affected by conflict
Women's Commission - USA

•  Around the World, ADRA Commemorates World Refugee Day
ADRA - International

•  World Refugee Day: Reflections from Chad
Refugees International - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Red Cross aid workers leave Chad after threat

•  FEATURE-Freed Sudan terror suspect angry at bombers, Britain

•  FEATURE-Cuba to Juba: south Sudanese doctors come home

•  Iran open to US office, wants direct US flights

•  US Darfur envoy disappointed at slow UN deployment

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Red Cross aid workers leave Chad after threat (1 minute ago)

FEATURE-Freed Sudan terror suspect angry at bombers, Britain (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 MEDIAWATCH: Food summit thwarts hope (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Chad: Before the Rainy Season (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 A day in the life of a 12-year-old in a Darfur camp (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Sudan: Darfur Humanitarian Access Map (as of 2 Jun 2008) (1 minute ago)


Country information

Facts & figures
Chad Sudan Switzerland

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-07-01T103457Z_01_ABU01_RTRIDSP_2_ABUDHABI-FOOD_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ABU01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-07-01T103325Z_01_ABU03_RTRIDSP_2_ABUDHABI-FOOD_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ABU03.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-07-01T103053Z_01_ABU02_RTRIDSP_2_ABUDHABI-FOOD_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ABU02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-06-30T001224Z_01_AFR95_RTRIDSP_2_SUDAN-DARFUR_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR95.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-06-30T000757Z_01_AFR97_RTRIDSP_2_SUDAN-DARFUR_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR97.htm

Mohammed al-Suwaidi, acting director general of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, speaks during an interview in Abu Dhabi, June 30, 2008. Gulf Arab oil producer Abu Dhabi plans to develop ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Thu Jul 3 13:45:38 2008