ATLANTA, United States (August 27, 2007) - We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the government of Sudan to expel Paul Barker, who has directed CARE's programs in Sudan for more than a year and has worked with CARE for 23 years. CARE has operated in Sudan for 27 years, spending $184 million on aid projects. Over the past three years, we have spent $60 million, mostly in the conflict-torn Darfur region.
With a staff of 600, CARE has been fully committed to the humanitarian mandate of helping vulnerable people whose lives have been torn apart by conflict in North Sudan and to helping people resettle in South Sudan under the peace process established for that part of the country.
We are concerned that Paul may have been asked to leave because of the government's interpretation of internal communications that are standard within non-governmental organizations regarding safety procedures for staff.
We hope to resolve this issue so that CARE can continue our long-term role in delivering humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. We work in partnership with other non-governmental organizations in the region and with the communities we serve.
