Sudan (Northern States) - Medair, together with other international agencies, is participating in a coordinated response to provide urgent relief assistance to displaced people who have recently arrived in camps around El Geneina, West Darfur, having fled attacks on their villages.

There has been an influx of newly displaced people arriving in two camps around El Geneina, West Darfur, in recent weeks. Around 500 households are reported to have arrived in Ardamatta Camp, and a further 300 in Durti Camp. Having fled their homes with very little during the peak of the cold season, these people are suffering due to both lack of shelter and inadequate access to healthcare and clean water. Many of them spend their nights huddled inside rough shelters made of leaves and grass, without even blankets to protect them from the elements. Some have suffered injuries while fleeing from their villages.

As one of the longest serving operational aid agencies in West Darfur, Medair has worked in both Ardamatta and Durti camps since they were first established in 2004, and is well-placed to participate in a coordinated response to assist these new arrivals. Medair's water and sanitation technicians have been hard at work to extend the existing water systems to provide better access to water for the newcomers. In addition to Medair's existing Primary Health Care clinics, its Sudanese health staff have opened another temporary clinic in Ardamatta, to focus on the specific health needs of the newly displaced. Medair is also ready to assist the local Ministry of Health in providing necessary measles vaccinations, and is preparing to construct latrines, once a suitable settlement site has been identified for the new population.

Meanwhile, the agency Terre des Hommes has been registering the new arrivals and distributing essential non-food items. Staff from an emergency medical agency have run a short-term emergency clinic, to care for the many trauma cases seen amongst the new arrivals. Save The Children - USA has been providing food rations and assisting in the repair of hand-pumps, and Catholic Relief Services has provided temporary shelters.

"It's encouraging to see the immediate impact of interventions such as these", says Medair's Health Coordinator Rhonda Eikelboom, "With the temporary clinic, these vulnerable new arrivals are able to access healthcare nearby, and are able to bring their children for vaccinations which will provide long-term protection against diseases. Meanwhile, the extensions to the water systems have enabled people to collect sufficient clean drinking water near their homes, without having to walk or queue for long periods."

Many of the newly arrived people speak of being forced to flee their homes due to attacks on their villages, in the area north of El Geneina. "We had to flee because we were beaten", reported one new arrival, "We left everything behind, and had to walk for two days to reach here. We hope that here at least we will be safe."

Having worked in West Darfur since 2001, Medair has a long history of assisting vulnerable populations in the state. Despite the current insecurity, Medair remains committed to finding ways to assist those in need of assistance around El Geneina and elsewhere in the area.

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 in West Darfur. These activities are carried out in collaboration with the Humanitarian Aid Commission and other Government of Sudan agencies; UN agencies including OCHA, Unicef and WHO; and NGOs including Terre des Hommes (TdH), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Save The Children - US. Financial support is provided by the United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund, the governments of the United Kingdom (DfID), Switzerland (SDC) and the USA (OFDA) and the Inter-Church Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO.)

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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