♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
♦ Voices From Calais: An introduction
September 18 – 2016 CALAIS, FRANCE The deteriorating situation in and around the refugee camp in Calais has not deterred the refugees and migrants fleeing from conflict areas in Africa and the Middle-East, to take shelter near the French port city. Amongst them are many Sudanese migrants.
Sitting in a quiet courtyard between makeshift tents of plastic sheets and blankets, Abbas Mohamed (32) from Nyala tells Radio Dabanga about his journey. He fled from Darfur, faced dangers in Libya and almost drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, which he crossed in a container vessel. He is not alone: about 2,000 Sudanese live in the Calais camp. Their large number may be explained by the desire they share to illegally enter the United Kingdom, and start a life there. “The difficult humanitarian conditions in the Jungle do not hold them back,” Mohamed explains.
A Sudanese man from El Gezira serves coffee and tea from his tent. He confirms that refugee life in Calais is difficult. “We live in huts built ourselves, of wood and plastic sheets, which do not protect us from the cold, hail, and rain during the winter.” The man prefers not to give his name, concerned that it will get him into trouble.
Reporting from the 'Jungle', Radio Dabanga will release stories, interviews and photos over the coming period. Sudanese refugees tell about the journey they have endured so far, the challenges of camp life, and their deep desire to reach the UK. Listen to the interviews (in Arabic) on Soundcloud
♦ Number of diarrhoeal cases growing in Sudan
September 20 – 2016 SENNAR / KHARTOUM Eight people died of acute watery diarrhoea in El Suki, Sennar state, over the weekend, according to medical sources. Blue Nile state has the highest mortality rate of Sudan, where the disease is rampant. At least 628 people are suffering from diarrhoeal diseases in Blue Nile state, medical cadres told reporters in Ed Damazin on Sunday.
The Sudanese parliament's Health Committee chairwoman, Imtithal El Rayah, said that there has been a rise in the mortality rate from acute watery diarrhoea infections, to 27 people. Most cases were counted in Blue Nile, in El Roseires and Ed Damazin towns. El Rayah denied the outbreak of cholera in the areas.
Meanwhile the Health Ministry in Khartoum has denied an outbreak of cholera in the states, but warned people against drinking water from unsafe sources and eating food that may be contaminated from street vendors. In a survey conducted by doctors of the Democratic Unionist Party in Blue Nile, Sennar, and Kassala, the doctors’ group classified Blue Nile state as “a region entirely infested with cholera”. They accused the Sudanese government of covering up the epidemic, demanding the authorities to declare the State of Emergency in those areas.
More highlights from Radio Dabanga:
Unamid car runs over displaced girl in North Darfur
September 19 – 2016 MELLIT / TAWILA A vehicle belonging to the joint UN-AU Mission in Darfur (Unamid) ran over a girl near the Abbasi camp for the displaced in Mellit in North Darfur. Two herders killed a…
Sudan Democracy First: Will the AUHIP roadmap lead to peace?
September 18 – 2016 KAMPALA The Government of Sudan should manifest a higher level of commitment and conviction that peace through negotiations is the only solution available to all parties…
Militiamen kill four boys in South Darfur
September 16 – 2016 KASS Four young students were shot dead in an attack led by militiamen in Burma, South Darfur on Thursday evening. A person who traced the perpetrators was also shot. The five…
South Darfur displaced return to Shattai farms
September 16 – 2016 SHATTAI A number of displaced people in South Darfur has managed to return to their farmlands and homes, which they had lost during conflict, for the purpose of farming. The…
Latest OCHA infographic sketches extent of displacement in Darfur
September 15 – 2016 DARFUR The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with humanitarian partners, has released a new map/infographic to illustrate new…
Three dead in North Darfur air raid
September 14 – 2016 TAWILA A relative of one of the victims told Radio Dabanga that an Antonov dropped 12 barrel bombs on the area of Loubi, south of Fanga, at 5 am. Three people and dozens of cattle were…
This digest is an excerpt from the weekly Darfur & Sudan News Update. Subscribe to the newsletter here
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