Sudan government suspends Darfur NGOs after alleging rule violations News
Sudan government suspends Darfur NGOs after alleging rule violations

[JURIST] Sudan suspended the work of 52 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Darfur [JURIST news archive] Thursday after allegations that they were not complying with regulations. The Sudanese government said the organizations would be able to resume work after talks with the government's Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). United Nations Under-Secretary-General John Holmes [official profile], scheduled to visit Darfur this week, said a political resolution is needed to eliminate the need for massive humanitarian support in the region.

International NGOs make up a large part of the humanitarian effort in Sudan, the largest in the world. Over 200,000 people have died in Darfur since civil war broke out in 2003. According to a March 6 report [text] by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor [official website], the HAC hindered NGO humanitarian efforts in 2006 by requiring NGOs to only hire new staff through a five-person panel and with HAC officials present. In addition, the report said that the government harassed humanitarian workers and detained them "on various arbitrary rules and requirements without prior notification." Holmes is working to convince the Sudanese government to allow humanitarian organizations to work uninhibited. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Israeli Knesset passed a law declaring Jerusalem the country's capital

Israel's Knesset passed a law on July 30, 1980, declaring that the "complete and united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." The international community largely rejected the move as 1947's UN Resolution 181 (II) intended to establish Jerusalem as a separate entity from both Israel and Palestine. US President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in 2017 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The UN's General Assembly reacted to the development by passing Resolution ES‑10/19, rejecting Jerusalem's capital status by a 128-9-35 vote.

President Johnson signed Medicare bill

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare bill, which went into effect the following year to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage for senior citizens in the US. Learn more about the history of Medicare.

Otto von Bismark dies

On July 30, 1898, Otto von Bismark died at age 83 in Germany. Bismark served as Prime Minister of Prussia until German unification in 1873. He then served as the first Chancellor of the German Empire. Bismark is perhaps best remembered for engineering the unification of Germany, but he was also responsible for the creation of the German social welfare system.