Humanitarian situation in Darfur “serious”

Humanitarian agencies warn that food and water shortages are most severe in West Darfur, western Sudan, where livestock prices have fallen against grain prices, and food-for-work schemes are attracting large numbers of people from distant areas. The UN-OCHA Sudan Report for March, released this week, said the majority of people arriving at the food-for-work sites were women. An assessment mission in West Darfur by Medecins Sans Frontieres-Holland in March revealed a poor harvest, due to pests, insecurity and insufficient rainfall. People were surviving by reducing meals, selling their assets, eating wild food, migrating to find labour, and seeking income-generating activities like collecting grass, and cutting wood. The assessment mission found that the state health structure was largely not functional, that primary health care was unavailable, and that secondary health care was limited. Low vaccination coverage of meningitis and measles had left the area vulnerable to outbreaks of epidemics. Four teams, with government, World Food Programme (WFP) and NGO representatives, carried out a needs assessment mission of West Darfur from 31 March. A nutrition survey in North Darfur has also been conducted. Relief food has so far been distributed through food-for-work schemes only. Last month WFP warned that as many as three million people face disaster in Sudan unless food assistance reaches them. On 29 March 2001, WFP stated that it will run out of food by mid-April unless immediate action is taken. A government source told IRIN that officials were working closely with humanitarian agencies, and had last month dispatched 30,000 mt of wheat to the area. The humanitarian situation was considered “serious”, the source said.