238 children have fled Darfur’s Jebel Marra to Shangil Tobaya

The children who have fled Darfur’s Jebel Marra to Shangil Tobaya now number about 238, including 143 at camp Shaddad who are without their families.

The Shaddad camps coordinator told Radio Dabanga that the Rural Development Network has conducted an inventory of children who have arrived at the camp without their families. He says that from February 11 until the April 23, 43 children have been reunited with their families.

The Coordinator explained that the ages of the children separated from their parents range from three to 17 years. “These children are currently living with foster families in camp Shaddad.”

The displaced in the camp complain of the outbreak and spread of summer diseases, malnutrition, and lack of medicine and health care in the camp.

The Coordinator told Radio Dabanga that eight children have died of malnutrition this week.

He said the Rural Development Network counted 53 children suffering from malnutrition, and 43 with coughs.

Water shortage

There is also an acute shortage of drinking water as the public water engine in the camp has broken-down.  The Coordinator told Radio Dabanga that the displaced now fetch water, at a very high price, from the Um Direisaya area, about three kilometres from the camp.

He appealed to the authorities and organisations to accelerate repairing the water engine, especially as the holy month of Ramadan is approaching.