“Deep concern” over Bahr al-Ghazal displacement

The UN said on Thursday it was stepping up efforts to assist the thousands of civilians fleeing fighting in Western Bahr al-Ghazal after a recent offensive by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was “deeply concerned” about massive displacement of the civilian population, and was mobilising resources to assist displaced people arriving in the South Darfur region from several directions. The UN had positioned relief supplies in Ed Daein [Al-Duwaym; 14.00 N 32.19 E], and WFP was distributing food to the affected population, OCHA reported.
Humanitarian agencies were currently mobilising funds to provide transportation for thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) moving out of the war-affected regions, it said.

As the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, the UN was intensifying its efforts to contain the crisis and prevent loss of lives. the press release stated. An emergency response team in the capital, Khartoum, was supporting the work of the Local Relief Committee (LRC) in Ed Daein [Al-Duwaym], and a high-level delegation comprising representatives from the government and the UN had visited the area to witness and assess the response to the crisis. The government was already providing assistance mainly through food distributions and transport arrangements, OCHA stated.