Rains ruin more than 6,300 homes in Darfur camps

The number of homes in the Zalingei camps for the displaced, Central Darfur, which collapsed as a result of heavy downpours over the weekend, amounts to more than 2,500 shelters. At El Salam camp in South Darfur more than 2,000 homes were ruined. In the Dankoj and Jebelein camp in North Darfur’s Saraf Umra locality more than 800 shelters broke down entirely, and more than 1,000 shelters were seriously damaged. The coordinator of the Central Darfur camps reported to Radio Dabanga that according to the joint Zalingei camps committee in charge of inventorying the damage caused by the rains, more than 2,500 shelters were destroyed. “The inventory committee has submitted the results to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan. Hopefully, authorities and organisations concerned will provide tarpaulins and shelters soon.” The camp coordinator denied that any government agency had provided aid to the affected displaced so far. “On the contrary, the government is restricting organisations that may provide relief.” He appealed to international relief organisations to provide emergency aid to the affected in the Zalingei camps. El Salam camp In South Darfur, the torrents and floods this weekend have led to the destruction more than 2,000 homes in El Salam camp for the displaced, located near the capital Nyala. El Salam camp sheikh Mahjoub Adam Tabaldiya told Radio Dabanga that in particular the shelters of the newly displaced were swept away. He appealed to humanitarian organisations to provide tents, tarpaulins, and food for the affected. Saraf Umra Heavy rains and flash floods destroyed more than 800 homes in the Dankoj and Jebelein camp for the displaced in North Darfur’s Saraf Umra locality this week. A sheikh of the Dankoj camp reported to Radio Dabanga that the rains also led to the destruction of 300 rooms, and more than 700 toilets in the two camps. “In addition, the homes of more than 1,000 displaced families were seriously damaged. The tarpaulins, used for the roofs, were some years old and worn-out, so they did not protect the inhabitants anymore against the sun or rains.” He described the conditions of the populations of the Dankoj and Jebelein camps as “very difficult”. “The environment, and the ealth conditions are deteriorating, and mosquitoes are on the rise.” The sheikh added that the “hospital of Saraf Umra is not working anymore”. “We cannot get any medicines, except in the expensive private pharmacies.” “Above all, the movement of lorries transporting basic commodities to the locality has been halted for more than one month. This has led to the skyrocketing of prices in Saraf Umra. We now pay SDG 4 ($0.70) for a pound of sugar, or for a piece of soap. The price of a bottle of cooking oil has risen to SDG 25 ($4.40).”  File photo: Darfur during the destructive rainy season of 2013 (Nafeer) Related:Rains destroy 1,196 homes, six schools in North Darfur’s El Sareif (18 August 2014) Three siblings drown in North Darfur pond (17 August 2014) Floods leave 142,000 people in Darfur, Sudan without shelter (15 August 2014) North Darfur capital ‘one large pool’: residents (11 August 2014) Rains bring more destruction to Darfur and Sudan’s capital (10 August 2014)