Darfur insecurity continues to cause displacement – UN

July 4, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said today that more people had been displaced in the western Sudanese region of Darfur due to volatile security situation.

Around 2, 700 news displaced have arrived to Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur from eastern Jebel Marra due to the increasing insecurity there during last June.

In South Darfur, insecurity continues to cause the displacement of thousands of IDPs to Al Salam camp and to Um Dukhum. Al Salam camp, which had a population of 13,300 in March, now houses over 33,000 IDPs, with over 2,300 IDPs still to be verified.

In Um Dukhum, West Darfur, where the nutrition level was reported to be critical, WFP and an INGO have been distributing emergency food rations for two weeks to nearly 950 IDP families who fled from militia harassment in Um Dafog.

A large number of refugees/returnees are also moving from Chad and the Central African Republic. A UNHCR team from Mukjar is presently in Um Dukhum to verify the numbers of refugees and returnees.

The UNMIS said a joint assessment mission with UN agencies and INGOs recommended closure of El Salaam camp in south Darfur. As the IDPs number has reached 33007, the mission concluded that the available services would not be adequate to sustain the current population at this location.

Alternative solutions for the IDPs need to be identified and coordinated with HAC and other authorities.

(ST)