2,200 families fleeing Sudan army, rebels battles arrive in camp

In line with “preliminary assessments” at least 2,200 families have arrived in a South Darfur camp over the last month due to clashes between Sudanese and rebel troops in two states of the region. Spokesman for the association of displaced persons and refugees of Darfur, Hussein Abu Sharati, said that only on Thursday and Friday, Kalma camp received 1,500 families. They are fleeing fighting between government and rebel forces in Marla (South Darfur) and in Labado and Muhajeriya (East Darfur), he said. Kalma’s Sheikh Ali Tahir said this is the largest wave of new arrivals the camp has witnessed. Sources say the site is already home to over 100,000 displaced. Tahir added that Kalma has received 700 families between the end of March and last Wednesday, noting they are living “in awful conditions”. These families were displaced as a result of clashes last month between government and rebel troops in Umm Gunja, Hijer Tonga, Batikha, and Tabaldiya, South Darfur. Both Tahir and Abu Sharati said the situation of the new arrivals is “dire” as they lack shelter and food. The sources are urging aid organizations to provide the displaced immediate support, adding the situation at the camp is on the “verge of becoming a real disaster”.File photo by Photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran – UNAMIDRelated:300 people fleeing South Darfur’s battles ‘attacked’ by militias (24 April 2013)Pro-government militia ‘kill 18 civilians’ in Muhajeriya and Labado, East Darfur (21 April 2013)‘4,000 flee villages burnt by aerial bombings in S Darfur’ -sources (18 March 2013)