Central Darfur boy seriously injured in UXO blast

A 12-year-old boy is in Zalingei hospital in Central Darfur after an item of unexploded ordnance (UXO) he was playing with detonated yesterday.

El Shafie Abdallah, the Coordinator of displaced camps of Central Darfur told Radio Dabanga that Mutasim Mohamed Abdallah found an unidentified object near camp Hamidiya, east of the Technology College.

“The boy began to play with it and it detonated. He was seriously injured and transferred to hospital.”

UXO causes deaths across Sudan and Darfur regularly. In July, a 13-year-old boy was similarly injured after playing with an item of UXO at El Khereiga area five kilometres south of Zamzam camp for the displaced in North Darfur.

Years of conflict have left Darfur and other conflict areas of Sudan littered with unexploded ordnance (UXO). Radio Dabanga appeals to listeners throughout the region (and elsewhere in our reception area) not to touch any ‘unexploded’ grenades or other ammunition found in the field. Mark its position clearly to alert others, and report it immediately to a camp elder, Unamid and/or the local police.