New movement of displaced people

An estimated 1,275 new internally displaced persons (IDPs) have recently arrived at Khor camp, Ad Da'ein, in south Darfur, according to a report from the UN Humanitarian Coordination Unit in Khartoum. They are reportedly arriving at a daily average of 35 families and entering via Safaha and Mairam from parts of northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Gogrial. Most of the IDPs are reported to have paid huge sums for their transportation, from Safaha to Ad Da'ein, while those who could not afford made it on foot. The report said an unspecified number of IDPs, mostly the weak and poor, are stranded in Safaha. An estimated 80 per cent of the new arrivals are women and children. "Men have stayed behind for fear of being labelled [rebel] Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers," the report said. With the exception of a few children showing signs of marasmus, most of the displaced were initially healthy. "Their situation could drastically deteriorate if urgent measures are not taken to address their long term needs which are primarily relief food and shelter," the report warned. For a week, the local authorities have not given relief agencies permission to conduct an assessment of IDPs in Safaha. So far all information on their needs has been provided by the government.