Aid group warns annual rain will worsen crisis for displaced in W. Sudan
CAIRO, Egypt, June 21, 2004 (AP) — A French medical aid group warned Monday the annual heavy rain that hits Sudan this time of year will only increase diarrhea and malaria deaths among western Sudanese displaced by pro-government militiamen who’ve burned their villages to the ground.
In a report on conditions in Mornay Camp, where 80,000 Sudanese, most of them displaced from 111 other villages in West Darfur province live, Doctors Without Borders said shelters are “pitiful” plastic sheets and latrines are few so rain soon will wash excrement across the entire camp.
“Mortality from diarrhea, which today represents one-third of the deaths, will only increase,” the report said, noting that 200 people die every month in Mornay from violent acts, starvation and disease.
“Mosquito breeding sites will likely swell,” the report said. “The seasonal malaria peak, well known to the region’s residents and doctors, will inevitably bring severe anemia and death to children as well as adults.”
Rains should begin in days, or weeks at most, it said.
Mornay was a village of 5,000 until 75,000 displaced people arrived, most of them between September 2003 and February, when attacks were heaviest in the area. Now, aid workers have said people are afraid to go home.
The latest report said the same people who carried out village attacks control the outskirts of Mornay; men who try to leave risk being killed and women and girls risk being raped or beaten.
Fighting between Arab militias and African residents has killed thousands of people and forced more than 1 million to flee their homes. International rights groups say the government has backed the Arab militia in an ethnic cleansing campaign against the African villagers.
The government has denied the accusations, saying the conflict was a result of tribal conflicts over land and water resources. It and two main rebel groups signed a cease-fire agreement in April, but both sides have since exchanged accusations that the other is violating the truce.
On Saturday, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir said the armed forces will disarm all warring parties, including the janjaweed _ the nomadic Arab militia the government has been accused of supporting.