South Darfur ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ as rainy season approaches

Camps for displaced persons near Nyala in South Darfur are in dire need of tarpaulins and tents with the approaching rainy season. The existing equipment is worn, broken, and offers inadequate protection “even from light rain”.Hussein Abu Sharati, spokesman for the association of displaced persons and refugees of Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that thousands of displaced people are living in the open, while the rain has already started in Darfur. On 5 May he said that a total of 41,441 families have arrived at Kalma since the beginning of March.Abu Sharati said that South Darfur camps lack tarpaulins, sanitary facilities, doctors, health centres and medicines to treat diarrhoea, vomiting, and other diseases that are affecting also pregnant women. The conditions for the displaced in both old and new Nyala camps (Kalma, Dreige, Attash, El Salam) are equally poor.Abu Sharati is appealing to relief and humanitarian organisations to provide tarpaulins and tents as soon as possible, before the autumn rain intensifies.3,382 not registeredWhile the spokesman says that all 41,441 families have been registered and received a certification by relief organisations, another 3,382 have not yet been accredited. He attributed the problem to Kalma’s management centre, which failed to submit a list of names to organisations providing support to the camp.Abu Sharati emphasised that the situation in Nyala camps are turning into a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the lack of food, drink, shelter, drinking water and the spread of diseases. He is urging agencies working in the field of health, water and food to take urgent action to resolve these issues.The displaced are fleeing areas that have witnessed clashes between rebels and government forces in which militias torched and looted villages. They are also fleeing tribal clashes in El Salam and Katayla, areas east and west of Nyala’s railway and Muhajeriya and Labado in East Darfur, which also saw clashes between government and rebel forces.The spokesman told Radio Dabanga of the continuous flow of new arrivals to Nyala’s camps. He appeals to humanitarian organisations and the UN to take urgent action and help the displaced people of Darfur.File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/UNAMIDRelated: Fur-Tarjam tribal clashes displace over 7,600 families in Darfur (13 May 2013)