Unamid concern over impact of fighting on Darfuri civilians

Newly displaced people arrived in several localities of North Darfur, mainly in the localities of Um Baru and Tawila, as well as Nierteti locality in Central Darfur. In coordination with the UN country team and other humanitarian organisations, Unamid is working to provide protection, and assist in the distribution of urgent aid to the affected populations.  

In a press statement released today, the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (Unamid) expresses its concern about the impact on civilians of the “clashes between armed opposition groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces in the East Jebel Marra area and north of Kutum over the past few weeks”.

About 3,900 newly displaced have sought refuge in a safe zone adjacent to the Mission’s Um Baru team site in North Darfur. They reportedly fled the surrounding villages of Orschi, Abu Leha, and Doldol, the statement reads. Unamid is providing protection, as well as temporary shelter, water, and some medical assistance to the newly displaced, “while humanitarian actors have arrived on the ground and started distributing and providing additional assistance”.

In Tawila, where more than 5,700 newly displaced individuals have settled in the Argo, Dali, and Rwanda camps for the displaced, Unamid peacekeepers intensified their patrols around the camps, and are coordinating assistance to the victims with humanitarian agencies. The Mission also assisted some displaced people who fled from Kunjara village, to retrieve their property.

Unamid furthermore states that its staff have not been able to assess the actual impact of the fighting on the affected villages, where the newly displaced were coming from, because of access restrictions.