Fires destroy dozens of houses in Darfur towns

Fires have destroyed dozens of houses in Kutum and Azum localities this week, affecting villagers and people who recently returned from camps for displaced.

North and Central Darfur have witnessed fires that destroyed dozens of houses in Teital, Kutum locality (North Darfur), and Balali, Azum locality (Central Darfur).

In Teital 33 houses were destroyed and large quantities of food, including cash crops, went up in flames. 76 houses burned to the ground in Balalali.

The press office of the Governor of Central Darfur, Jaafar Abdelhakam, said that the governor has promised every affected family in Balali a compensation of SDG 2,000, as well as a sack of millet.

Activists in Teital appealed to the neighboring villages in Kutum and to be generous and provide food and shelter to the affected families.

The village of Balali hosts more than 370 families who returned from camps for displaced people under the voluntary repatriation programme in Sudan.

Model villages

In July 2011, the Sudanese government signed the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur with former Darfur rebel movements, and pledged to construct model villages intended to house displaced Darfuris returning to their home areas. The Government of Qatar has financially supported Khartoum in this.

Most of the Darfur displaced categorically reject returning home or relocation to model villages as they consider the situation far from secure enough to leave the camps.