Darfur: Conditions worsen
2004-08-18 17:24
Khartoum - Heavy rains and increasing numbers of displaced people from the Darfur conflict has the UN's food relief agency gearing up for a "critical stage" in feeding victims of the violence and instability in western Sudan, UN officials said on Wednesday.
Radhia Achouri, a spokesperson for the UN mission, said the number of internally displaced people in the Darfur region has increased to 1.2 million, up from 1 million reported last month.
Besides the internally displaced people, another 270 000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance, "bringing the total number of conflict-affected people in Darfur to a staggering 1.48 million people".
"The civilian population fleeing to IDP camps and concentration areas is increasing because of reigning insecurity and fear of militia attacks," Achouri added.
The UN says Darfur has become the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The world body says about 30 000 people have been killed in fighting since African rebels rose against the government in February 2003.
Since then, pro-government Arab militia, known as the Janjaweed, have been accused of a campaign to drive the African Sudanese out of Darfur.
The United Nations says about 180 000 Darfur refugees have also fled into neighbouring Chad.
The UN's world food programme said it was urgently increasing its operations as the rainy season reached its peak in the Darfur region.
Starting Wednesday, the WFP planned to airlift nearly 100 tons of food daily into El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, the state worst affected by the rains.
If the rains make the gravel and sand runway unusable, WFP will airdrop the food.
"The next six weeks will be critical as the rainy season really begins to bite - we have a massive task ahead of us," said WFP Sudan country director Ramiro Lopes da Silva.
Achouri said the UN remained concerned about the security situation but said government efforts to devise plans to address the problem were "positive".
- AP