January 26, 2025 Zalingei – Darfur24 Displaced persons in camps and shelters in Central Darfur State have complained about the unfair distribution of aid, favoring nomads and the host community over those fleeing the war.
Abdal-Rahman Abdallah, a displaced person in Bindisi camp, told “Darfur24” that “most of the aid reaching the area goes to city residents and nomads, while the war-affected displaced persons receive only a little that is insufficient for even one meal.”
Abdal-Rahman questioned the fairness of the organizations’ criteria for assessing needs based on which aid is provided.
He added, “In the last aid distribution, the share for a camp leader responsible for more than 2,000 families was a single 50-kilo bag of rice, a gallon of cooking oil, and five pounds of salt, while the same quantity was given to a nomad family of seven and a trader’s family of five living in the city.”
Similarly, Halima Abakar, a displaced person in Mukjar camp, criticized what she described as the humanitarian organizations’ shifting focus away from the displaced persons, now giving more attention to nomads and city residents.
Halima, a widow responsible for a family of nine, told “Darfur24” that “in the last aid distribution, they gave me oil and a handful of rice and salt, which I cooked in one meal.”
She urged the organizations to focus on the displaced persons who cannot afford living costs that exceed their capacity, as they used to engage in agricultural and commercial activities before the war that helped them manage their living conditions. However, they are now facing difficult security situations with widespread looting and security breakdowns that prevent them from engaging in those activities.
On the other hand, an employee of an international organization, who preferred to remain anonymous, told “Darfur24” that the organizations operating in RSF-controlled areas are forced to follow the directives of the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), which focus aid distribution on nomad areas and city residents.
He said, “The agency believes that displaced persons’ camps have received enough aid during the 2003 war and should not be allocated aid meant for those affected by the April 2023 war.”
The Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations is affiliated with RSF.
The employee mentioned that the agency told the organization he works for that “focusing on displaced persons’ camps and shelters and neglecting nomads and city residents brings consequences, as RSF intelligence arrested the director because of it.”
Organizations operating in Central Darfur have focused their humanitarian aid distribution activities within city neighborhoods through emergency rooms, supervising the distribution of food and shelter supplies to families in the neighborhoods and nomad groups.
The organizations require displaced persons’ families in camps and shelters to register in neighborhood emergency rooms to receive humanitarian aid.
The United Nations says Darfur region is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with 79% of its population needing humanitarian assistance and protection.