Darfur IDP camp reopened to relief workers

Relief workers have regained access to a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan's South Darfur State, which had been closed to them following the recent killing of an IDP during a disturbance at the camp.

Sudanese authorities reopened the camp on Monday, a day after the UN special envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk appealed to the government to allow humanitarian workers into the Kalma camp, which hosts thousands of IDPs from the Darfur conflict, UN News reported on Monday.

A crowd had, on Thursday, attacked a group of IDPs from a nearby camp, suspecting them of being involved in attacks against other displaced persons. One IDP was killed and another hospitalised. UN News reported that following the incident, the government ordered the suspension of all humanitarian activities and African Union (AU) observers were denied entry into the camp.

Pronk noted on Sunday that the denial of access to the camp would have "serious consequences on the IDPs' needs for relief and assistance, particularly severely malnourished children who require daily assistance in therapeutic feeding centres inside the camp".

The UN has described the situation in Darfur as "the worst humanitarian crisis", with at least 1.2 million people displaced by clashes between the rebels and the pro-government Janjawid militia movement. More than 180,000 people have fled into neighbouring Chad.