December 2006
Oxfam is assisting more than 1,000 refugees who have arrived in Um Dukhun in West Darfur in recent weeks, most fleeing increasing violence in the Central African Republic. Others have arrived from Chad, with the situation on all sides of the Darfur border seriously deteriorating and the crisis spreading through the region.
"Many of the refugees arrived in Um Dukhun with virtually nothing as they fled in such a hurry to escape the fighting. They desperately need assistance," said Caroline Nursey, Oxfam's Sudan Country Programme Manager.
Oxfam is working with other agencies and local authorities in the area to ensure that urgent needs are met. We are digging new boreholes to increase the water supply, and we are distributing clean buckets and jerry cans to carry water, as well as blankets and plastic sheeting to enable refugees to construct temporary shelters.
Um Dukhun is at the southern tip of West Darfur state, close to where the borders of Darfur, Chad and Central African Republic (CAR) intersect. With the violence in Darfur intensifying, it is feared the crisis is spreading. The situation in eastern Chad has worsened considerably, with new displacements of civilians and rebel attacks on major towns. Armed groups from both Chad and Darfur regularly cross the border at will, and civilians have been targeted directly or caught up in fighting. In West Darfur, weapons are increasingly prevalent inside camps. Northeast CAR has also seen a rise in fighting and attacks on towns and villages.
Approximately 965 refugees have so far arrived from the Barao area of CAR, which is just 50 kilometres from the Darfur border. They say rebel groups there attacked and burnt their villages last month. Some travelled on foot for several days to reach Um Dukhun.
In addition, nearly 200 refugees have also arrived from southeast Chad, describing militia attacking villages, entering farmland, and threatening civilians.
Oxfam has worked in Um Dukhun since September 2004, providing water and sanitation to around 40,000 conflict-affected people in the town and surrounding villages.
For more information contact Alun McDonald, amcdonald@oxfam.org.uk, +249 912391657
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
