Nearly 5,000 IPDs move to Abyei town

January 28, 22020 (KHARTOUM) – Nearly five thousand internally displaced people have moved to Abyei town following a brutal attack by Misseriya armed men on a Dinka Ngok village.

33 people were killed, 18 wounded, 15 children missing, and 19 houses burned during the attack on Kolom which is about nine km North-West of Abyei town on 22 January.

“As of 26 January, approximately 4,800 people (about 800 families) from Kolom have taken refuge in Abyei town and the surrounding areas of Noong, Dokura and Ameit villages,” said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Tuesday.

Also, more families are on the move and the number of people affected will likely be increased in the coming days.

The IDPs have settled in the schools and community centres in Abyei town.

“The priority needs of the IDPs are food, nutrition, shelter, non-food items (NFIs), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), as well as child protection and reunification of missing children with their families,” stressed the humanitarian coordination agency.

The Dinka Ngok leaders disputed the Misseriya claim that the assailants wanted to revenge the killing of three Misseriya.

The attackers “wanted to drive Dinka Ngok out of the area to improve their access to grazing land,” reported the OCHA citing Dinka Ngok leaders.

(ST)