North Darfur’s newly displaced denied water

Sudanese government authorities have refused to provide access to water and sanitation for newly displaced people in Zamzam camp near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur. A technical agreement with Plan Sudan, an international NGO, to provide the most urgent needs like water, has been rejected. The denial of water by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) of the Sudanese government has direct impact on 28,000 newly displaced, the coordinating office of the UN reports. Zamzam is among the largest camps. The Sudanese Armed Forces continue to attack the rebel-held areas of Darfur, but most of the new displacements are caused by fighting between militias armed by the government. The new displacement started in April after conflicts in surrounding villages. Plan Sudan recently started to provide water and sanitation services for the new arrivals, including water services. Unicef reported that since 16 May 2014, no fuel has been provided to Zamzam camp owing to constrains in fuel transportation clearances. Consequently water services have been disrupted. Unocef and the government’s Water and Environmental Sanitation Department are pursuing the matter with HAC to get the required clearance. File Photo by Albert González Farran / Unamid Related: No drinking water in Wadi Osher, North Darfur (1 June 2014)