Sudan (Northern States) - A staff member was slightly injured when shots were fired during an armed raid on a Medair compound in El Geneina, West Darfur. The compound provides a base for staff who provide essential health and water services to over 200,000 conflict-affected people in this remote part of Sudan.
In the early hours of Sunday, 19 July, a Medair compound in El Geneina, the state capital of West Darfur, suffered an armed raid. During the raid on the compound, an international staff member was hit by shrapnel when shots were fired, apparently in an attempt to force entry to a building. The other staff present were shaken but unharmed, although important communications and IT equipment were stolen. The injured staff member received immediate medical attention at a United Nations medical facility, and full recovery is expected.
The compound provides accommodation for Medair's expatriate staff working in the region, who directly manage Medair's life-saving humanitarian work in the surrounding areas. This vital work includes supporting 20 primary health care facilities and providing safe drinking water for over 200,000 people.
"Medair is the longest serving operational NGO in El Geneina, having worked tirelessly in West Darfur since 2001," said Michael Sidman, Medair's Desk Officer for the Northern States of Sudan. "It is fortunate that our colleague suffered only minor injuries, but this situation could easily have been much worse. If our staff are not safe staying in the town, it will be difficult for us to sustain our life-saving activities at this critical time."
"An attack on a known humanitarian compound, shooting at staff, and theft of assets are all unacceptable," said John Farmer, Medair's Operations Director. "Medair is an independent non-governmental organisation. It is neutral and impartial in conflicts and its sole mandate is to bring life-saving relief in disaster situations. Its staff and assets should be protected and respected."
Medair appreciates the rapid assistance that was provided to its staff by the local authorities and United Nations in the aftermath of this incident. While it remains committed to its humanitarian work in Sudan, in view of the severity of this attack, Medair has temporarily withdrawn all of its relocatable staff who were affected by the incident from Darfur to Khartoum for consultations and a review of the situation. However, life-saving activities are continuing and Medair hopes to be able to maintain its work, in collaboration with the relevant authorities, for as long as needs exist, and its staff are able to safely access those in need.
Medair is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Switzerland. It has worked in Sudan since 1995, and in West Darfur since 2001, and seeks to support local institutions and capacity wherever possible. Medair employees over 350 Sudanese staff, with nearly 90 percent of its West Darfur employees coming from that state. It currently provides access to primary health care, water and sanitation for up to 200,000 conflict-affected persons in Darfur. These activities are carried out in collaboration with the Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission, State Ministry of Health, and other government agencies; with United Nations (U.N.) agencies; and with other NGOs. Financial donors include the governments of Switzerland (SDC) and Sweden (SIDA) , the U.N. Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund, as well as other bilateral agencies.
Elsewhere in Sudan, Medair supports access to safe water and sanitation and promotes public and reproductive health in the Nuba Mountains area of South Kordofan. In Southern Sudan, Medair provides emergency medical and water assistance during outbreaks, major movements of people, and in nutritional emergencies in a number of locations across the region, as well as improving access to primary health care and safe water sources in Upper Nile. For more information, please visit www.medair.org.
For all media inquiries please contact:
Janneke de Kruijf - Media Officer (EN/DE/NL)
E-mail: janneke.dekruijf@medair.org
Tel: +41 78 635 30 95
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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