2008 Press Releases
U.S Government Condemns Theft of UNICEF Water Rig
April 6, 2008
The United States Government condemns the March 20 theft of vehicles by one of the Darfur rebel factions. This seizure included a vitally needed UNICEF water rig critical to the development of adequate water supplies for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in Darfur. The United States requests the immediate return of the water rig and the other stolen property on humanitarian grounds.
The water rig and three other vehicles were stolen in Umm Tujuk, North Darfur. The missing vehicles and water rig are now believed to be in Chad.
It is essential that the Dando drilling rig be returned to the UNICEF-supported Water Environmental Sanitation program. In the absense of the rig, work has been delayed on 110 water points in Darfur. This has a negative impact on the health of apporximately 400,000 internally displaced persons, according to UNICEF.