Darfur IPDs urge international humanitarian aid
May 11, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) warned of deteriorating humanitarian situation in western Sudan stressing that only 10% of them receive food rations.
Humanitarian agencies have been providing assistance to displaced people since the conflict began in 2003. However many were thrown out of the country in 2009 after Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity – and the next year genocide – in the western region by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Following the signing of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), Sudanese authorities discouraged, the few UN organisations and aid groups working in the region from providing humanitarian assistance.
Khartoum considers the closure of IDPs camps as one of the main objectives that DDPD should achieve. However, due to the lost of oil income, the government failed to secure the needed money to launch of IDPs voluntary return programme.
Hussein Abu Sharati, spokesperson of Darfur IDPs & Refugees Association, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that the humanitarian situation in Darfur camps is getting worse and urged the international community to provide an urgent assistance to civilians affected by the nine-year conflict.
“The WFP allocate a monthly small ration of Sorghum only to about 10% of Darfur IDPs”, he said. He added the others do no longer receive any humanitarian assistance.
The Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) said in a report issued in February 2012 that WFP gives IDPs in Abu Shock camp, near North Darfur state capital, 22 Sudanese pound as monthly provisions to buy goods from merchants instead of humanitarian assistance.
The group deplored the situation IDPs have been forced to work low-paid jobs in al-Fasher making them vulnerable to exploitation due to new WFP policies. The UN estimates there are some 1.9 million people are living in Darfur camps.
Abu Sharti warned that the situation will deteriorate further during the upcoming rainy season when the roads are muddy and impractical. “The population in the isolated areas will not receive any food from May to October”, he pointed out.
He also pointed out that IDPs since three years did not receive shelters items and their old tents need to be changed.
Last month OCHA mentioned in its weekly bulletin of 29 April the increase of insecurity in South and East Darfur states. Aid workers expressed fears that the fighting between the government forces and rebels might lead to further restriction on their movements.
Humanitarian actors are concerned that the increase in insecurity in the state could lead to possible further restrictions on movements of humanitarian organisations hindering access to people in need.
Different news reports underlined recently the resurgence of violence in Darfur and the end of a long period of calm since the signing of the DDPA in July 2011.
(ST)