The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the blockade of the key roads leading to Geneina - West Darfur’s regional capital - was lifted on February 7. The restriction had lasted several weeks, obstructing the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel. The roadblock was lifted thanks to an agreement with the protesters, following the visit of a government delegation from Khartoum.
Humanitarian assistance in the West Darfur region is urgent. According to the UN Migration Agency, at the end of January 2021, 46.150 individuals and 9.230 households were displaced in the area around Geneina, sheltering in schools and public buildings. The UN identified food supply as the main priority of humanitarian assistance in the area, followed by non-food items, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and medical supplies.
Internal displacement in the region has increased in the past month as a consequence of the inter-communal conflict between Masalit and Arab tribes. Clashes erupted on 16 January and violence escalated in the following weeks, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. The UN OCHA has finalized an operational response plan to assist 100.000 people in West Darfur, which will be supported by the UN Sudan Humanitarian Fund providing 1,3 million dollars.
To read more, please visit:
https://www.unocha.org/story/daily-noon-briefing-highlights-india-sudan
https://www.internal-displacement.org/countries/sudan
Author: Margherita Curti; Editor: Matteo Consiglio
