UN: ‘East Darfur displaced now number 50,000’
Over the last few weeks a total of about 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of fighting in East Darfur, which began on 6 April. This figure, which has been confirmed in the latest reports from the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and some national NGOs, has risen by 10,000 in just two weeks. The fighting began when rebel forces from the Sudan Liberation Army -Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) attacked the towns of Labado and Muhajeriya. Hostilities continued and led to the recapture of these towns by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) about two weeks later. Since then tensions in the area have remained high, a UN OCHA report says. An estimated 11,500 people remain displaced around the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) team site outside the town of Muhajeriya. According to the latest reports, the situation around the town is improving slightly: there have been reports of a limited number of people returning, and the local market re-opened on 23 April.However while the current estimate does show a drop from last week’s figure of 18,000, many other people continue to flee the area to camps in East and South Darfur. Displaced people from Muhajeriya continue to arrive in El Neem camp near Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur. By 28 April, they numbered nearly 9,000, with an average of five trucks carrying additional displaced people arriving daily, OCHA says. In Labado, the number of displaced people sheltering around the UNAMID team site is reported to have decreased to approximately 7,000 from the previous estimate of 13,000, but there are reports that the security situation around Labado is still tense, with unconfirmed reports of looting by some militia groups. Earlier this week, Radio Dabanga reported an estimate of 8,482 newly displaced families by Kalma’s Sheikh Ali Tahir. An assessment conducted by humanitarian agencies in Kalma camp in South Darfur has estimated that 7,600 people arrived at the camp from the Labado and Muhajeriya areas over the past week. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has begun to register new arrivals, and humanitarian agencies are running the camp’s water pumps for an extra two hours each day to cope with the increasing needs. New arrivals are provided with health services via the camp’s existing facilities. The World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing two-week food rations for 1,600 newly displaced people and will distribute more food once the verification process is complete.Humanitarian agencies have distributed 45 tons of emergency food to all people displaced in Labado and Muhajeriya.Map: civilian displacement from Muhajeriya and Labado (Sources: HAC, UNAMID and humanitarian agencies in East and South Darfur)Related: UNAMID delivers 80,000kg of aid to displaced in East Darfur (24 April 2013)
Over the last few weeks a total of about 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of fighting in East Darfur, which began on 6 April. This figure, which has been confirmed in the latest reports from the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and some national NGOs, has risen by 10,000 in just two weeks.
The fighting began when rebel forces from the Sudan Liberation Army -Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) attacked the towns of Labado and Muhajeriya. Hostilities continued and led to the recapture of these towns by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) about two weeks later. Since then tensions in the area have remained high, a UN OCHA report says.
An estimated 11,500 people remain displaced around the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) team site outside the town of Muhajeriya. According to the latest reports, the situation around the town is improving slightly: there have been reports of a limited number of people returning, and the local market re-opened on 23 April.
However while the current estimate does show a drop from last week’s figure of 18,000, many other people continue to flee the area to camps in East and South Darfur.
Displaced people from Muhajeriya continue to arrive in El Neem camp near Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur. By 28 April, they numbered nearly 9,000, with an average of five trucks carrying additional displaced people arriving daily, OCHA says.
In Labado, the number of displaced people sheltering around the UNAMID team site is reported to have decreased to approximately 7,000 from the previous estimate of 13,000, but there are reports that the security situation around Labado is still tense, with unconfirmed reports of looting by some militia groups.
Earlier this week, Radio Dabanga reported an estimate of 8,482 newly displaced families by Kalma’s Sheikh Ali Tahir. An assessment conducted by humanitarian agencies in Kalma camp in South Darfur has estimated that 7,600 people arrived at the camp from the Labado and Muhajeriya areas over the past week.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has begun to register new arrivals, and humanitarian agencies are running the camp’s water pumps for an extra two hours each day to cope with the increasing needs.
New arrivals are provided with health services via the camp’s existing facilities. The World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing two-week food rations for 1,600 newly displaced people and will distribute more food once the verification process is complete.
Humanitarian agencies have distributed 45 tons of emergency food to all people displaced in Labado and Muhajeriya.
Map: civilian displacement from Muhajeriya and Labado (Sources: HAC, UNAMID and humanitarian agencies in East and South Darfur)
Related: UNAMID delivers 80,000kg of aid to displaced in East Darfur (24 April 2013)
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