‘Toxic bombs’ in C. Darfur pollute water and kill 23 children -rebels

The military spokesman of the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) disclosed that 23 children died of diarrhea after drinking water polluted by toxic bombs following last week’s bombings in South Jebel Marra, Central Darfur. Mustafa Tambour added to Radio Dabanga that another 287 people are infected with the disease and that 11.000 citizens were displaced due to the shelling. “Toxic bombs have been used by the Sudanese army in both South and West Jebel Marra”, he said, mentioning that areas such as Golo and the Jildu garrison were also affected. According to him, the majority of the citizens who were exposed to the bombings in those areas are complaining about diarrhea after drinking water from local wells. The humanitarian situation in South Jebel Marra is currently deteriorating according to Tambour, who appealed to the UN and other agencies to provide aid to the displaced.Five people died following “heavy bombing” by the Sudanese government on 17 February on the South Jebel Marra region, according to sources.Witnesses revealed the bombs used by then were “different” and could not be seen “with the naked eye”.The shells left white ashes after exploding and their residue was causing diarrhea and eye infections among children, miscarriages among women as well as death of livestock, sources asserted.Photo: Destruction left behind after an attack on Sigili village, North Darfur (Albert González Farran/ UNAMID)Related: South Jebel Marra death toll climbs to 5 (19 February 2013)