‘More than 2.3 million displaced in Darfur’: DRA survey

There are currently 2,308,992 people displaced in the five states of Darfur. Among them are 82,530 orphans, 34,099 widows, and 52,352 infirm and elderly, according to a survey conducted by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) from December 2013 to April 2014. The DRA Commissioner for Voluntary Return and Resettlement, Azhari Ahmed Shata, reported to Radio Dabanga, that the 2,308,992 displaced reside in 46 camps, and in 68 settlements not recognised as camps. The surveyors counted 3,324 destroyed villages in the five Darfur states during the five-month survey period.     The total number of displaced in South Darfur amounted to 667,457, the number of destroyed villages 736. 615,660 displaced are living in North Darfur, where 729 villages were destroyed. Central Darfur counts 464,459 displaced, and 778 destroyed villages; West Darfur 373,225 displaced, and 750 destroyed villages; and the number of displaced in East Darfur amounted to 188,241, with 331 villages destroyed. File photo: Settlement for newly displaced near the Unamid base in Saraf Umra, North Darfur, 18 March 2014 (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related:‘Displacement is becoming a children’s crisis in Sudan’: Unicef (2 April 2014)Displaced condemn Um Jaras Forum as ‘Darfur burns’ (2 April 2014)