The United Nations called on Tuesday more efforts in dealing with challenges related to both peacekeeping operation and humanitarian situation in Darfur.

The African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, and John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, gave updates on the situation in Darfur to the UN Security Council.

Adada said that even though Darfur is at the top of the international agenda, this attention has not thus far been matched with the action to provide the UN-AU joint operation in Darfur (UNAMID) with the means to accomplish the tasks assigned to it.

"There is a long way to go before we can say that we have met these expectations and fulfilled the promise made by this council," he said, adding "our forces are serving under exceptionally difficult conditions, facing daily dangers and hardships."

Adada further pointed out that it would probably not achieve full operating capability before 2009.

He appealed again to the Security Council to redouble its efforts to assist the mission in overcoming the logistical and political obstacles it currently faces.

In a statement later read out on behalf of Special Envoys Jan Eliasson of the United Nations and the African Union's Salim Salim, Adada warned that it would be difficult for UNAMID to implement its mandate and protect the civilians of Darfur if there was no peace to keep.

Prospects for comprehensive substantive talks between the parties in the near future were dim, he said.

Holmes said that the international community has not been able to find a lasting solution to the suffering of the millions of men, women and children in Darfur.

Further progress in the deployment of UNAMID will help, he said, but only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed, as the rebel movements themselves above all need to recognize.

The UN chief for humanitarian affairs added that in the absence of any real progress towards a solution, profound human suffering will continue to grow in Darfur.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2008)