Crisis for orphans, separated children in North Darfur camp

Humanitarian conditions have become critical for about 160 displaced children living in camp Shaddad, who are orphaned or have been separated from their families.

On Tuesday the woman official of camp Shaddad in Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that there are about 143 orphaned children in the camp, as well as 17 children separated from their families during their flight from the violence in East Jebel Marra since February 2016.

She said that 219 of the 246 originally separated from their parents have been reunited with their families. The 17 who remain are living with foster families in the camp.

The official said that the orphans, ranging from 6 to 20 years old, are mostly girls. They live in the campo with relatives, but their humanitarian and psychological condition is critical due to lack of basic care by humanitarian organisations.

She appealed via Radio Dabanga to humanitarian organisations to immediately move to Shangil Tobaya to provide food, treatment, health care, education and non-food items to the children as soon as possible.

Girls raped

Last week, several girls from camp Saddad were gang-raped and beaten by marauding militiamen while they were out collecting firewood and straw.

On Sunday morning, about 18,000 residents of the camp staged a sit-in protest when a delegation of the leadership of Unamid visited the camp. The protestors demanded Unamid provide patrols to protect the displaced when they go out to forage.