HIGHLIGHTS
• Newly displaced people from Jebel Marra have continued to arrive in various locations in South and Central Darfur states over the past week.
• Six civilians, including two children, were killed following tensions between local nomadic tribesmen and IDPs in Sortony, North Darfur.
• An Acute Food Security Situation Overview report for the Republic of Sudan has been released by the National Food Security Technical Secretariat.
• The influx of South Sudanese into East Darfur continues, though at a slower rate of arrival than in the previous two months.
More newly displaced civilians from Jebel Marra in South and Central Darfur
Civilians displaced by hostilities between government forces and the Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) in the Jebel Marra continue to arrive in various locations in Darfur. Newly displaced people from Jebel Marra have been reported in South and Central Darfur states over the past week.
More Jebel Marra IDPs arrive in South Darfur
Newly displaced people from Jebel Marra have arrived in Kass town and Nyala internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in South Darfur. Overall, new IDPs from Jebel Marra have been reported in Kass, Nyala North, Mershing and Alwehda localities, with the number of reported IDPs standing at about 16,700 people. Out of that reported number, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has so far been able to initially register 8,660 IDPs in Kass town and Otash camp, Nyala North locality where the provision of humanitarian assistance is ongoing. Further registration in other locations is scheduled for the next week.
Humanitarian access has improved, with partners currently able to access most locations of new reported displacement. Advocacy for access to Deribat and areas around Kass are ongoing.
More Jebel Marra IDPs reported in Central Darfur
On 4-5 May, an inter-agency team carried out registration and a needs assessment in Hassahissa and Hameedia camps in Zalingei town. It was found that an additional 2,666 people had arrived since April 20, bringing the total of registered newly displaced people in both camps to 4,295. The new group came from 24 villages located in Western and Central Jebel localities as a result of the hostilities between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and SLA/AW. According to the team, about 90 per cent of the new arrivals are women and children. The team has also received reports of cases of family separation and missing children. Many women said that on their way to the camps in Zalingei they were exposed to harassment and witnessed violence. Their main needs are food, emergency shelter and essential non-food supplies, access to health and protection. There is also a need for family tracing and reunification where possible and provide psycho-social support to those in need of such assistance.
According to unconfirmed reports, between 40,000-90,000 people have been displaced in Boori, Wadi Boori and areas around Golo town. These reports cannot be verified due to lack of access.
Inter-communal tension in Sortony, North Darfur
Tensions between local nomadic tribesmen and IDPs have been reported in Sortony, North Darfur where thousands of people displaced from Jebel Marra have been sheltering after hostilities started in the Jebel Marra area in mid-January. On 8 May, the armed tribesmen were said to have set up a check point to block all IDPs and commercial trucks movements from or to Sortony. This was reportedly prompted by a theft of cattle belonging to the nomadic tribesmen. On 9 May, six displaced civilians, including two children, were killed by armed local tribesmen outside of the IDP site in Sortony.
Due to the tense situation, water was not trucked from Kebkabiya to Sortony on 8 May, with only 40,000 litres of water fetched from a nearby water source in Kubi. On average water and sanitation (WASH) sector partners have been trucking to Sortony about 250,000 litres of water per day prior to the tensions and road blockage. Efforts are underway to ease the tensions and organise a reconciliation meeting between the leaders of nomads and IDPs. There are 33 aid workers from a government entity, national and international NGOs in Sortony providing basic services to the IDPs.
Meanwhile, IOM’s registration and verification process in Sortony, North Darfur remains suspended by authorities since mid-February. Advocacy by the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) for the resumption of IOM’s registration and verification processes is ongoing. Following a headcount exercise carried out in Sortony in March, the World Food Programme (WFP) currently has 20,000 beneficiaries in Sortony receiving emergency food assistance. In Tawilla, the number of WFP’s beneficiaries is 31,000 people. According to reports received from Sortony, there are continuous population movements in and around Sortony and ascertaining precise numbers of displaced people is a major challenge.