“People told me several times that when they fled Zamzam [displacement camp]armed people would threaten them while they were in flight, saying of course, “Fouez, go there, run here, run there, we will follow you, we will find you”“Said Jocelyn Elizabeth Knight, a protection agent from the United Nations Agency for Refugees, Hcr.
Briefing journalists in Geneva, Ms. Knight, described addressing a traumatized child in a HCR refuge, whose experience reflects that of countless other young people across the country.
“A little boy said to me:You know, during the day, things are going well here, but I’m afraid of going to sleep at night in case the place where we live is attacked again. ”“”
Forced to put to misery
In Darfur in western Sudan, many people uprooted by violence meet in disused public buildings with few essentials to water and sanitation.
Meanwhile, new trips and attacks on civilians continue in Darfur and in the neighboring region of Kordofan, warned the UNHCR, in the communities “which are already devastated and have been subjected to unspeakable atrocities”.
The fighting in progress has also seriously limited humanitarian access and disrupted aid delivery for more than two years. With the current seasonal rains, many roads will be impassable for months, further complicating the delivery of the aid, noted the United Nations agency.
Persistent insecurity has also hampered agriculture, deepening deprivation in areas at risk of famine or already undergoes famine conditions.
The latest UNHCR data indicate that More than 873,000 Sudanese refugees fled the Darfur and crossed Chadwhich now houses the greatest number of Sudanese refugees recorded since the start of the conflict. One in three people in eastern Chad is now a refugee.
Mortal disease
In addition to the heavy fights between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and their former adversaries that have become allies – the paramilitaries Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – which started in April 2023Civilians are now faced with an epidemic of cholera with rapid and fatal distribution.
“” Cholera has swept away Sudan with all states signaling epidemics,“Said Dr. Ilham Nour, emergency responsible for the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).
She noted that since last July, nearly 100,000 cases have been reported.
Lives on the line
Very contagious disease spreads quickly under unsanitary conditions. At the beginning of August, 264 cases and 12 deaths were identified during the colony of refugees from Dougui in eastern Chad welcoming the Sudanese arrivals of Darfur.
The surrounding villages have also pointed out suspicious cases, while others emerged in the colony of Tregu, one of the many HCR camps in eastern Chad which host Sudanese refugees.
Help containing the disease is urgent, insisted that Dossou Patrice Ahouansou du HCR, principal coordinator in eastern Chad.
“We have more than 230,000 refugees on the border in a very difficult situation,” he said. “” Without urgent action, in particular the improvement of access to medical treatment, clean water, sanitation, hygiene and especially the resettlement of the border, many other lives are at stake.“”
As part of the response and to prevent new cases, the United Nations agency has suspended the relocation of refugees from border points.
HCR is Finding $ 130 million in flexible funding Provide vital aid to around 800,000 people in Darfur. In addition, the United Nations agency will respond to the cholera epidemic and will move 239,000 Sudanese refugees from the border of Chad-Sudan.
Unploded weapon alert
In the meantime, the UN Mine Action Service(UNMAS) confirmed the fears that the unploded ammunition of current battles kill and mutilate non-combatants who are not aware of the extent of the danger.
“” The sad reality of this current conflict is that this does not happen in rural areas, this occurs mainly in urban areas, in very populated areas“Said Mohammad Sediq Rashid, head of Sudan Unmas.
Last week, six minefields were confirmed in Khartoum and three of them contained anti-personnel terrestrial mines-the first time it was reported-he told journalists in Geneva.
“” Contamination is on the roads, in houses, in schools and landing breads, medical facilities, humanitarian bases,The UNMAS manager continued.
“” It’s a population [that] is widely ignored by the dangers that await them … This problem only grows every day.“”
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
