‘Camp profiling’ discussed in South Darfur’s Kalma

Representatives of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (Unamid) met with displaced leaders in Kalma camp near the South Darfur capital Nyala earlier this month to address recent concerns over food distribution and camp profiling.

Hosting 128,000 individuals (according to the International Organization for Migration), Kalma is one of the largest camps for the displaced in Darfur. It was set up in February 2004.

One of the main concerns of the displaced in the camp is the temporary suspension of World Food Programme (WFP) food rations for July and August. This suspension is a result of a delayed camp profiling exercise scheduled to start mid-June. However, because of demonstrations by a Kalma youth group that rejected the WFP camp profiling exercise, the process, officially accepted by the camp leadership, had to be postponed.

OCHA reports in its latest weekly bulletin that the concerns the displaced leaders raised in the meeting with the UN and AU representatives were mostly related to the camp profiling exercise procedures. The questionnaire was perceived as containing sensitive questions considered irrelevant to the situation of the camp residents.

In addition, the implementation time line of the camp profiling exercise is considered problematic as by mid-June many displaced left Kalma camp to work on farmlands in different parts of the state. In addition, some community leaders refused to participate in the data collection exercise.

In June, WFP provided food rations to the entire Kalma population. The staff began negotiations with the community members to start the camp profiling exercise, that is also underway in other camps for the displaced in Darfur. However, monthly food distributions for July and August in Kalma camp were postponed, as per protocol, pending the anticipated favourable conclusion of negotiations.

OCHA states that the UN food agency is on standby to provide general food assistance to 101,000 protracted displaced once the camp profiling exercise starts, as previously agreed with the displaced in Kalma.

WFP safety net activities (nutrition support, school feeding, etc.) are still ongoing. The agency has engaged in extensive sensitisation activities with Kalma camp sheikhs, youth groups, and community leaders, and continues to liaise with the community representatives to address concerns, and ensure support is provided to the most vulnerable displaced.