Nearly 18,000 newly displaced still living rough in Darfur

Some 8,700 newly displaced people at El Salam camp, and more than 9,000 at Kalma camp, in South Darfur, are living in dire humanitarian conditions as they lack food, cover, and shelter. Sheikh Mahjoub Tabeldiya of El Salam camp told Radio Dabanga that 3,200 of the newly displaced who arrived at the camp, situated in Bielel locality, South Darfur, since March 2013 were registered by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). “They received food only once: a plate of grain for each household and some plastic sheets. 5,500 have not been registered or received any assistance thus far. Their humanitarian and health situation is very bad.” Sheikh Tabeldiya appealed to HAC, humanitarian organisations and the UN to speed-up the provision of assistance to them. Kalma campHussein Abu Sharati, spokesman for the Association of Displaced People and Refugees of Darfur, says that in 2013 and 2014, 9,076 of the newly displaced who have arrived at Kalma in Nyala, South Darfur, are living in the open without shelter, food, or medicines Abu Sharati told Radio Dabanga that these newly displaced have not yet been registered by any organisation. “These people have also not received any food assistance. Humanitarian organisations provided some non-food assistance for the first time last week, delivering plastic sheets, household utensils, and plastic water tins for 13,338.” Abu Sharati warns that a humanitarian and health disaster might occur if food, medicines, water and new toilets were not provided before the beginning of the rainy season. File photo: A displaced Darfur woman carrying firewood (Albert Gonzalez Farran / Unamid) Related: South Darfur displaced must brave long queues for little or no water (13 April 2014)Three-month crisis as fuel shortage silences water pumps in Gireida, South Darfur (13 April 2014)