Security: Jebel Amir, Darfur, still experiencing insecurity - Tension remains high in the Jebel Amir area of North Darfur, where some 100,000 people were displaced in January following inter-tribal fighting in a gold mining area, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report Thursday.
The report, prepared in collaboration with humanitarian partners, quoted Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) as saying that continued insecurity and a rise in criminality against local populations and unescorted commercial trucks, has led to a new wave of displacement from different parts of the state to Kebkabiya locality.
Early this week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it was taking emergency relief aid to thousands of people displaced and disposed by inter-tribal fighting over traditional gold mining rights, saying that subjects from neighboring Chad were also affected by the fighting.
“HAC reports that there have been sporadic attacks and looting of unescorted commercial trucks on the Saraf Omra – El Sireaf road. National NGOs have also reported instances of looting of livestock.” the OCHA report said.
Those making it to secure zones have quoted insecurity and looting of livestock, as well as a lack of basic services in the areas they have come from, as the most common reasons for departure.
But the report also spoke of positive signs, saying that on 2 February, the second batch of relief supplies planned for the first phase of the emergency response to the crisis in Jebel Amir left Al Fashir town.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) transported by road about 148 metric tonnes of supplies for health, reproductive health and nutrition assistance; livestock feed; and non-food relief supplies for affected and displaced people in Saraf Omra, Kebkabiya, Garra Az Zawia and El Sireaf.
It also said that on 2 February, the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) airlifted 6 metric tonnes of nutritional supplies and livestock vaccines to El Sireaf, Saraf Omra and Kebkabiya.
But, it said, the supplies transported by road are yet to reach their final destinations. The road conditions are difficult and several of the trucks broke down and were stranded at different locations between Kutum and al Fashir for several days.
It said water and sanitation services are being provided by the Government’s Water and Environmental Sanitation Department (WES) in collaboration with the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) as well as the international NGOs Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).
The World Food Programme (WFP) is distributing food aid.
Pana 07/02/2013