Government order confines UN & humanitarian aid to Nyala

Representatives from non-governmental organizations, UNAMID and UN agencies were yesterday informed by the Sudan Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission that the State of South Darfur would be immediately restricting all movement of humanitarian actors beyond a 15-kilometer radius of Nyala. Further, despite falling within the radius, the Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp has also been restricted. Flights to UNAMID team sites and movements to Otash IDP camp will not be affected.

Ongoing military operations and security threats were cited as the reason for these latest restrictions, according to information the Commission gave to UNAMID.

Meanwhile, UNAMID verification teams attempting to reach populations in the Labado and Esheraya regions of South Darfur, the site of recent air strikes, were not allowed access yesterday by Government forces.In its press statement yesterday, the UN Mission cited “security concerns, particularly as a result of armed movements operating in the areas.”

Radio Dabanga’s sources had reported 13 killed in air strikes and 10 wounded. The dead were all civilians, and mourning family members initially refused to bury them until UNAMID teams arrived to verify their deaths in the air attacks.