UN seeks medical aid for victims of Malakal fighting

Dec 2, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nations said on Saturday that medical staff and emergency supplies are urgently needed to step up treatment for more than 300 civilians who were wounded during heavy fighting earlier this week in the southern Sudanese town of Malakal.

In a statement issued in Malakal, UN Deputy Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator David Gressly appealed for volunteer nurses and support staff from within the local population as UN solicits supplies from the international community.

“Priorities include nurses, surgical supplies and first-aid kits,” the statement said.

The security situation inside Malakal has largely returned to normal. But the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said tensions among armed groups in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state, remains high and sporadic gunfire and looting of shops and homes are continuing.

The United Nations estimates several hundred soldiers and civilians were wounded during the two days of fighting and looting that began on 28 November.

The UN said survey indicated that although international and local doctors and health workers in Malakal have been able to manage the caseload, reinforcements were necessary to provide care to the remaining victims.

“Assessments of other areas of need, including the city’s water supplies and the condition of those families who fled the conflict and are living northwest of the city, will begin Saturday,” the statement said, adding that of particular concern is the population’s access to clean water in a city where cholera outbreaks are common.

The United Nations has reported that civilians are drawing drinking water from the Nile River because some of the town water pumps have broken down.

“Getting people access to potable water is critical because of the lack of town water supplies and the risk of cholera,” said Meredith Preston, resident coordinator in Malakal.

Located on the banks of the Nile near Sudan’s oilfields, Malakal is one of the tensest towns in the south.

(Xinhua/ST)

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Below the UN press statement on the issue:

(Malakal, [South Sudan] 1 December 2006) – Medical staff and supplies are urgently needed to step-up treatment to those wounded by the fighting in Malakal, the United Nations reported today. Priorities include nurses, surgical supplies and three-months worth of first-aid kits.

Following a formal pause in the fighting Friday afternoon and retreat by armed forces to positions on opposite sides of the city, a United Nations team of health experts was able to visit a Malakal hospital to determine its capacity to provide ongoing treatment to those shot or beaten during the fighting. The United Nations estimates several hundred soldiers and civilians were wounded during the two days of fighting and looting that began on 28 November.

The survey indicated that although international and local doctors and health workers in Malakal have been able to manage the caseload, reinforcements were necessary to provide care to the remaining victims. The United Nations has appealed for volunteer nurses and support staff from within the local population and is soliciting supplies from the international community.

“Treating the wounded continues to be our first priority in responding to the victims of the hostilities in Malakal,” said David Gressly, Deputy Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, who traveled to Malakal with a team of experts and supplies to support the assistance effort there.

Assessments of other areas of need, including the city’s water supplies and the condition of those families who fled the conflict and are living north-west of the city, will begin tomorrow. Of particular concern is the population’s access to clean water in a city where cholera outbreaks are common. The United Nations has reported that civilians are drawing drinking water from the Nile River because some of the town water pumps have broken down. Though United Nations peacekeepers have provided critical support to the Malakal government to dispose of the dead, the Nile remains contaminated by bodies as a result of the fighting.

“Getting people access to potable water is critical because of the lack of town water supplies and the risk of cholera,” said Meredith Preston, resident coordinator in Malakal, who said that the United Nations and its partners responded to 165 cases of cholera in the Malakal area since October.

At 2pm today, a formal agreement was reached by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army to disengage from fighting and retreat to positions held before the conflict began. During the calm that followed, many residents who remained in Malakal, including women and children, came out of their houses and circulated throughout the city.

Non-essential UN staff remain in locations outside of Malakal, however plans are underway to bring teams of experts back to support assistance efforts. The United Nations will continue to assist the civilian population and monitor the situation in Malakal.

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