ACT News Update

Refugees flee western Sudan for safety in Chad

Geneva, February 12, 2004--Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees have fled the western part of their country for safety in Chad, escaping a series of attacks by militia and bombardments by Sudanese government planes. Fighting has been escalating between government forces and rebels in the western part of the country in the past year, in contrast to the peace process in the southern part of Sudan that seems set to end a two decade-long civil war.

An assessment team sent to the eastern part of Chad by Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) - a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International - has highlighted the plight of the thousands of people of the Darfur region who have become caught up in the fighting.

Tor Valla and Innocent Ndizeye, both of Norwegian Church Aid, report that the conflict has intensified over the last few weeks. More than 100 000 people have fled across the border since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2003. A bombing campaign has been aimed at several villages in the border area, causing widespread damage. This has been followed by attacks by gunmen on horseback, the report states.

The influx of refugees into eastern Chad has resulted in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) re-establishing its presence in the country in October 2003. In late December 2003, UNHCR mobilized its emergency response team and established a field office and UNHCR presence in the border area with Sudan. The field office is located in Abeche, while UNHCR has established presence in Iriba and Adre. Valla and Ndizeye write that the increased insecurity for the refugee population in the North and Central North (two of four zones in the region) "demand a quick response from humanitarian agencies in order to prevent a disastrous situation for the Sudanese refugees seeking protection in Chad".

Water is severely limited, with the necessary equipment insufficient to provide a minimum service to the refugees. Additional water and emergency sanitation equipment will have to be brought into the area of response. UNHCR has asked NCA to set up water and sanitary installations and help with camp construction - the cost of which will be born by NCA, should its humanitarian relief effort go ahead.

The UN agency has already identified two possible locations for refugee camps, and NCA's ongoing assessment will verify if the sites are appropriate, especially regarding access to water sources.

Touloum refugee camp, to be located 17 km south of Iriba in the Central North Zone of Chad, will be able to offer shelter to up to 20,000 refugees, although it would seem likely that between 12,000 and 15,000 refugees will be housed in the proposed camp, the site of which is near several villages, all with a capacity of drawing water from the ground.

Mile Refugee camp has similar conditions to that of the proposed Touloum camp, but more accurate information in still not available. The proposed camp should offer shelter to 15,000 refugees.

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