Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
February 2, 2012
I am outraged by the Sudan Armed Forces’ heinous bombing yesterday of a school run by Samaritan’s Purse in the Nuba Mountains region of Southern Kordofan. It was the first day of school, and the campus was full of students, teachers, and families. While miraculously no one was killed, this attack—involving eight bombs dropped from the air—underscores the viciousness of Sudan’s ongoing military campaign in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
This conflict is now affecting more than 500,000 people and, if Sudan continues to deny access to international humanitarian aid while continuing its military operations, the situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile will reach Stage 4 of a humanitarian emergency, one step short of full-scale famine, by March. The United States calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full, immediate, unconditional access for the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations to all populations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.