Nyala, July 29(Darfur24)
Thousands of displaced people in the Sakli camp for displacedpersons, located south of Nyala city in South Darfur State, are facing deteriorating living conditions due to the suspension of humanitarian aid in recent months.
The displaced people are complaining of limited humanitarian response and soaring food prices.
The Sakali camp houses more than 47,000 displaced people who have settled there since the outbreak of the conflict in the Darfur region in 2003. The pressure on its residents has increased with the arrival of new waves of displacement as the result of the ongoing war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The women and child’s affairs officer at the camp told Darfur24 that the cessation of humanitarian aid has led to a deterioration in the living conditions of the camp residents. She noted that the World Food Programme distributed food baskets to only 144 families out of the 150 that had been identified and registered last month, in the first distribution operation within the camp since the outbreak of the war.
She added that the number of beneficiaries represents only a small percentage compared to the number of displaced people, explaining that World Food Program used to provide food assistance to more than 2,000 displaced people before the war began.
She emphasized that the continuous rise in food prices has exacerbated the suffering of families, given the lack of income sources or alternatives that would enable them to secure their basic needs.
The ongoing war in Sudan has led to new waves of displacement towards the camps of South Darfur, joining the tens of thousands of displaced people who have been living there since the outbreak of the conflict in the region in 2003.
South Darfur State hosts more than seven camps for displaced people, located in the outskirts of the city, most notably the Kalma and Al-Salam camps, which house large numbers of displaced people relying mainly on humanitarian aid.