One refugee killed in Darfur after riot over reduced food rations
September 3, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nations refugee agency said today that one refugee was killed during a riot in a Darfur refugee camp over reduced food rations.
The UNHCR said Wednesday the riot took place in Um Shalaya camp, 70 km southeast of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State. The camp hosts mainly Chadian refugees.
The riot broke out around 10:00 AM Tuesday, September 2, when hundreds of stick-bearing and shouting women angrily demonstrated against a temporary food reduction due to logistical problems.
Following an assault on a policeman, the police fired warning shots in the air. A 26-year-old male refugee was killed and six other persons, including three policemen were injured.
The reduction in the amount of sorghum, a staple that is widely consumed in both Chad and Sudan, was due to the inability to safely transport food from El Geneina to Um Shalaya camp, the UNHCR said.
There are approximately 6,600 refugees in Um Shalaya where new asylum seekers trickle in every month after fleeing violence in their home areas in eastern Chad.
In Darfur, there are an estimated 50,000 mostly Chadian refugees who are mainly settled along the border areas.
(ST)