West Darfur: No food rations for 10,000 displaced in 18 months

The displaced of the camps at El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, are suffering from severe food shortages and insecurity. One of the sheikhs of camp El Riyadh explained to Radio Dabanga that about 10,000 camp residents have not received food rations for 18 months due to the “disappearance” of their names during the re-registration of the camp residents at that time. The sheikh explained that the lack of access to food, also for those who have been registered, has resulted in extremely difficult living conditions. The food rations distributed now to card holders have been reduced by up to 75 percent and are restricted to corn only.  The monthly food ration has now become one and a half plates per person, rather than the five plates that used to be distributed to an individual in the past. The sheikh demanded those in charge of food distribution to expedite solving the problem of cards and to increase the food rations. At the same time, the security situation at the camps of El Geneina is deteriorating, due to increasing attacks by armed militiamen. A sheikh from Abu Zer camp told Radio Dabanga that the displaced are not safe in the camps, even inside their homes, due to the repeated assaults and assassinations at night by armed gunmen. The most recent incidents have been the killing of two displaced. Hafiz Hamadein was killed inside his house by an unknown gunman, on Wednesday at dawn, and Hashim Matar was shot on the same day in one of the streets of the camp. The sheikh appealed to the local authorities and Unamid forces to act and protect the displaced, persecute the perpetrators and bring them to justice. File photo: A displaced Darfur woman shows her World Food Programme ration card (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related: Food rations reduced in West Darfur camps (15 September 2013)