A Medair vehicle has been stolen at gunpoint in West Darfur . The vehicle was being used to support essential health services for displaced people in the region.

On Sunday 15th October, at around midday, 4 staff members were performing a routine supervision of the Medair-supported clinic in Durti camp, on the outskirts of El Geneina, West Darfur. Outside the clinic a number of unidentified men armed with automatic weapons approached their vehicle, forced the staff to get out, and then drove off.

The 4 staff were shaken, but unharmed. They were taken back to El Geneina by staff from Terre des Hommes (TdH), the agency that provides camp coordination services in Durti.

"Medair has worked in Durti Camp since 2004, when the camp was first established", said Ina Hogendoorn, Medair's Desk Officer for the northern states of Sudan. "The community in Durti are as shocked as we are at this incident."

"The theft of a clearly marked vehicle carrying out essential humanitarian work is unacceptable", added John Farmer, Medair's Operations Director. "Unfortunately, this incident highlights the growing insecurity in Darfur, and demonstrates the threats faced by aid agencies and local communities alike."

Medair appreciates the steps that have been taken to improve the security of humanitarian workers in El Geneina in recent months. However, Medair calls upon the responsible authorities and the African Union to undertake appropriate additional measures, to ensure the safety and security of both displaced people and humanitarian workers in Durti Camp and similar areas.

For more details, please contact: Ina Hogendoorn Sudan (Northern States), Desk Officer (English, Dutch) Phone: +41 (0)21 694 3535 ina.hogendoorn(at)medair.org

Medair is an international non-governmental organization (NGO), based in Switzerland. It has worked in Sudan since 1995, and in West Darfur since 2001, where Medair currently provides access to primary health-care, water and sanitation for up to 200,000 conflict-affected persons. These activities are carried out in collaboration with Sudanese government's Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Aid Commission; UN agencies including Unicef/WeS and WHO; Terre des Hommes and other international NGOs. Medair's activities in West Darfur receive financial support from the governments of the UK (DfID) and USA (OFDA), and the United Nations' Common Humanitarian Fund.

Elsewhere in Sudan, Medair works with war-displaced people in Khartoum; and supports access to primary health-care, safe water and sanitation in the Nuba Mountains area of South Kordofan. In Southern Sudan, Medair provides emergency medical and water assistance, primarily in Upper Nile.

Medair's life-saving activities are dependent upon private financial support. To contribute to this work, please visit www.medair.org (Sudan section.)

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Founded in 1988, Medair is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) independent of any political, economic, social or religious authority. Its international headquarters are based in Switzerland. Its mission is exclusively humanitarian and it accomplishes its work in a spirit of dedication and solidarity, inspired by its Christian values.

Medair's objectives are to respond to suffering victims in war and disaster situations (especially those which have been forgotten or neglected) through various kinds of emergency and rehabilitative projects.

Medair employs 50 people in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Holland. In the field, 120 full-time expatriates help populations in difficulty, with the support of 1600 local employees.

The organisation is certified ISO 9001 at world wide level for its quality management system.

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