UN official ‘concerned’ about civilians in rebel-controlled areas of Sudan
Following her official visit to Sudan earlier this month, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator “expressed particular concern for the safety and welfare” of civilians living in areas controlled by the SPLM-N rebel group. These areas concern namely Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Baroness Valerie Amos said stories told by refugees arriving in South Sudan and the poor conditions in which many of them arrive, are a constant reminder of the hardships faced by people in the war zone. She also said that farming is affected, food is in short supply and people die every day from a lack of access to adequate health facilities, clean water and other basic services. “We know this also from those humanitarian organisations which have crossed the border to assist people in desperate need”, she was quoted in UN OCHA’s latest Humanitarian Bulletin released on Thursday. The United Nations continues to call on the Government of Sudan to allow it to send staff into the SPLM-N areas to assess humanitarian needs, but this has still not been authorised, it was stated. OCHA continued saying that according to the latest report from the Juba-based group “South Kordofan and Blue Nile Coordination Unit”, various South Kordofan localities saw aerial bombardments throughout May. This “resulted in civilian casualties and displacement”. The localities are Buram, Dalami, Heiban, Rashad, Umm Dorain, and Western Kadugli, the report stated. In addition, it indicated an increase in ground fighting that has caused more displacement of civilians in Western Kadugli, Al Abbasiya, Buram and Dalami localities. Concerning Blue Nile State, the same report mentions that intensive aerial bombardment continued in Kurmuk locality during April, causing damage to civilian infrastructure. It mentions ongoing internal displacement of more than 20,000 people in the Chali and Wadeka areas, and it says that the humanitarian situation in these areas, as well as Yabus, continued to deteriorate during the reporting period as a result of shelling and aerial bombardment. It says that food insecurity continues to be of high concern for displaced and vulnerable populations in SPLM-N-controlled areas, and that several thousand displaced persons have moved south to Summari town in order to avoid ground fighting in northern areas of Wadeka, with no access to water or food supplies.Photo: Valerie Amos during her visit to Darfur (OCHA)Related: UN Under-Secretary General ‘shocked’ after visiting Darfur camp (23 May 2013 UN official promises to deliver Darfur displaced memo to Ban Ki-moon (22 May 2013)
Following her official visit to Sudan earlier this month, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator “expressed particular concern for the safety and welfare” of civilians living in areas controlled by the SPLM-N rebel group. These areas concern namely Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
Baroness Valerie Amos said stories told by refugees arriving in South Sudan and the poor conditions in which many of them arrive, are a constant reminder of the hardships faced by people in the war zone. She also said that farming is affected, food is in short supply and people die every day from a lack of access to adequate health facilities, clean water and other basic services.
“We know this also from those humanitarian organisations which have crossed the border to assist people in desperate need”, she was quoted in UN OCHA’s latest Humanitarian Bulletin released on Thursday.
The United Nations continues to call on the Government of Sudan to allow it to send staff into the SPLM-N areas to assess humanitarian needs, but this has still not been authorised, it was stated.
OCHA continued saying that according to the latest report from the Juba-based group “South Kordofan and Blue Nile Coordination Unit”, various South Kordofan localities saw aerial bombardments throughout May. This “resulted in civilian casualties and displacement”.
The localities are Buram, Dalami, Heiban, Rashad, Umm Dorain, and Western Kadugli, the report stated. In addition, it indicated an increase in ground fighting that has caused more displacement of civilians in Western Kadugli, Al Abbasiya, Buram and Dalami localities.
Concerning Blue Nile State, the same report mentions that intensive aerial bombardment continued in Kurmuk locality during April, causing damage to civilian infrastructure. It mentions ongoing internal displacement of more than 20,000 people in the Chali and Wadeka areas, and it says that the humanitarian situation in these areas, as well as Yabus, continued to deteriorate during the reporting period as a result of shelling and aerial bombardment.
It says that food insecurity continues to be of high concern for displaced and vulnerable populations in SPLM-N-controlled areas, and that several thousand displaced persons have moved south to Summari town in order to avoid ground fighting in northern areas of Wadeka, with no access to water or food supplies.
Photo: Valerie Amos during her visit to Darfur (OCHA)
Related:
UN Under-Secretary General ‘shocked’ after visiting Darfur camp (23 May 2013
UN official promises to deliver Darfur displaced memo to Ban Ki-moon (22 May 2013)
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