Umm Dafuq, September 16 (Darfur24)
Sudanese refugees in Birao camp in the Central African Republic staged protests on Monday over severe shortages of food and water that have persisted for months.
“The food ration has been suspended since last year, with only small amounts of money being disbursed over the past two months,” one refugee told Darfur24. “We are in dire need of food,” he added.
Moreover, he said the camp has also been struggling with a major water crisis for the past three months, with most refugees relying on rainwater.
“The camp’s wells were disrupted due to the theft of spare parts. They have not yet been repaired, and long queues and huge crowds are waiting to collect the little water available,” he added.
According to the refugee, camp security personnel have imposed fines of up to 1,000 riyals, an equivalent of 24,000 Sudanese pounds, on anyone who protests or causes disturbances at the water stations.
Birao camp hosts thousands of Sudanese who fled the conflict in Darfur, including nomadic herders who traditionally cross between Sudan and the Central African Republic in search of pasture and water.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 38,000 Sudanese have fled into the Central African Republic since the war erupted in April 2023, part of a regional displacement crisis that has pushed over 4.1 million Sudanese into neighboring countries.