Hundreds of thousands of people affected by inter-tribal fighting over gold mining in Sudan, including those who crossed from neighboring Chad to exercise traditional gold mining, will soon receive urgently-needed humanitarian assistance, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The organisation said on Tuesday that it is currently transporting over 125 metric tonnes of emergency assistance, including plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, beds, mattresses and mosquito nets, to an estimated 100,000 people displaced by fighting in north Darfur’s Jebel Amir district, in Darfur region, neighouring Chad.
The UN last week quoted local government officials as reporting the closure of public offices and schools in the locality due to the large number of displaced people who have taken refuge in these buildings.
According to the officials, there are 25,000 displaced people in the local boys’ school, 25,000 people in the girls’ school, 5,000 people in the locality office compound, 3,500 people in the mixed school and 1,500 people in the locality council office.
The IOM explained, in a statement made available to PANA, that the assistance, which also includes primary health care and rapid response kits, medical tents, nutrition items for malnourished adults and children, cartons of soap and animal feed, is expected to reach the areas of Kabkabiya, Saraf Omra, Sireif and Ghara Zawiya from Khartoum by road in the next few days.
It confirmed that more than 100 people were killed and some 70,000 have fled their homes in the Jebel Amir gold mining areas, following clashes between the Beni Hussein and Aballa tribes over the control of several gold mines.
Labour migrants from neighbouring Chad have also been caught up in the fighting, with many fleeing to the West Darfur State town of Al-Geniena.
Government authorities in Khartoum have already mobilised tribal chiefs to calm down the population and help bring peace.
Pana 05/02/2013