HIGHLIGHTS
Fighting in the Jebel Marra area had displaced over 12,000 people by 24 January.
Returnees to East Darfur’s Labado village need water, nutrition and education assistance.
El Nino may affect up to 4.2 million Sudanese in 2016, according to WHO.
In West Kordofan,aid organisations have improved the water supply at the Kharasana refugee site.
About 14,000 IDPs from South Kordofan in Um Ruwaba are struggling to cope and make ends meet.
Thousands flee the Jebel Marra area amid fighting
Civilians continue to flee their homes in the Jebel Marra area—escaping hostilities between Government forces and armed movements—and are taking refuge in North and Central Darfur states, according to aid organisations and the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Over 12,000 people were estimated to have been displaced by 24 January since the conflict began on 15 January. In Central Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and partners have prepared a contingency plan to provide assistance for up to 70,000 people, should the needs arise. Current relief stocks can cover up to 80 per cent of food, 98 per cent of nutrition, and 97 per cent of water and sanitation needs of the contingency plan. However, there are no emergency shelter and household supplies available. Aid organisations will need to replenish stocks to cover these possible needs.
Thousands of IDPs from Jebel Marra take refuge in North Darfur
In North Darfur’s Sortony area, Kebkabiya locality, UNAMID reported that 8,400 displaced people—of whom 60 per cent are children, 30 per cent are women and 10 per cent are men—have taken refuge near the UNAMID team site. The displaced people reportedly came from Tui, Korambe, Samra, Burgukiry, Bersi, Sura, Fatah, Birgel, Kaguro and Niortolo villages. They are staying out in the open and are in need of shelter, food, water and sanitation, and health assistance. As there are no humanitarian actors in the area, UNAMID is providing the displaced people with about 6,000 liters of water per day and medical assistance. There is a water point located about 5km from the team site that the displaced people can use. The Wali (Governor) of North Darfur has stated that he is committed to assisting and facilitating aid for the newly displaced people in the state. However, before any assistance is provided the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the national NGO Kebkabiya Smallholder Charitable Society (KSCS) will verify the numbers, after which aid agencies can send relief supplies from El Fasher. In addition, about 500 people (104 families) have arrived in Kebkabiya town from Berdy village, according to HAC and KSCS. The displaced people are reportedly being accommodated by relatives and the host community in Kebkabiya town. In Tawila locality, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has carried out an initial headcount of 3,200 people who arrived in the locality and are in need of food, emergency shelter and household supplies. About 3,000 of them took refuge in Rwanda internally displaced persons (IDP) camp and 200 in Argo IDP camp. The displaced people reportedly came from the villages of Kaguro, Borgo, Kosa, Basa, Buri, Hillat Fata and Dadi in West Jebel Marra locality and the Jebel Si area. IOM will start registering these displaced people shortly. Aid organisations have started providing nutrition assistance for the newly displaced children and health services for those displaced who need it. Further assessments of the needs of the newly arrived people will be carried out by aid organisations working in the camps. The displaced people said that more people would arrive in the coming days; the locality commissioner said he would allocate land for the displaced people close to their current location.
People displaced from Jebel Marra arrive in Nertiti town, Central Darfur
Aid organisations in Nertiti town have received reports that conflict-affected people have started to arrive in the town from the villages of Boldon, Kaninga and Kutrum in Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) controlled areas. The number and needs of these displaced people have not been assessed, but aid organisations expect they will need food as well as emergency household supplies. According to the displaced people, there are many people trapped in the Jebel Marra area and are unable to flee due to continuing hostilities. Some of these people have reportedly fled into the mountains and are taking refuge in caves. As soon as the hostilities subside, more people are expected to arrive in Nertiti town. OCHA has sent in a request to HAC to carry out an inter-agency need assessment amongst newly displaced people in Nertiti town. The UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) plans to pre-position a three months’ supply of nutrition, education as well as water and sanitation items in Nertiti and Guldo towns to meet the needs of new IDPs.