Statement by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan on visit to West Darfur

“Humanitarian partners will continue to provide humanitarian assistance and support thousands of people who were displaced by violence and insecurity in parts of West Darfur over the past few weeks,” she said.



The Humanitarian Coordinator accompanied by the heads of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) visited a gathering site in Ag Geneina hosting some of the people who were displaced from Kereneik since April, and a group of nomads outside of Ag Geneina town where they interacted with people displaced and affected by the conflict, and heard their stories.



Fighting between Arab nomads and Masalit tribes took place from 22 – 25 April following the discovery of two deceased Arab nomads on 21 April near Hashaba village in Kereneik locality. The violence spilled over to Ag Geneina locality. The security situation improved after the deployment of security forces in Kereneik town, and no fighting has since been reported.



The local authorities in Kereneik reported that about 98,000 people have been displaced by the conflict. At least 165 people were killed and 136 injured during the clashes, according to local authorities.



UN agencies and humanitarian partners continue to provide thousands of newly displaced people and other affected people in Kereneik and other locations in West Darfur with humanitarian assistance, including food, non-food supplies and access to water, sanitation and health services.



The Humanitarian Coordinator reminds all stakeholders of their international legal obligation to protect all civilians, and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, schools and water systems. The Humanitarian Coordinator urges all parties to the conflict to allow the free and safe movement of affected people in search of safety and assistance. She also echoed previous calls for an in-depth and transparent investigation, the results of which should be made public and help to identify the perpetrators of the violence and bring them to justice.



During January-March 2022, humanitarian partners have provided 794,000 of the most vulnerable people in West Darfur with food and other forms of humanitarian assistance. This is equivalent to about 42 per cent of the total population of West Darfur.

 

***

For further information, please contact the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHASudan@un.org).