Umm Dafuq, May 21(Darfur 24)
Dozens of Sudanese families left the Birao refugee camp in the Central African Republic, returning to Sudan via the Umm Dafuq crossing, following the worsening humanitarian and health crises inside the refugee camp, according to local sources.
Sudanese refugees in the camp are suffering from food and water shortages after the suspension of cash assistance for more than two consecutive months. This has prompted some families residing in the Umm Dafuq border crossing to send food aid to their relatives inside the camp.
One of the refugees, named Abkar Ishaq Adam, said that the refugees have not received their food rations for months, with the last distribution took place in early March.
He explained that the authorities informed camp residents of their intention to replace food rations with monthly financial allocations, but the March and April allocations have not yet been disbursed.
Isaac indicated that the reason for the delay was a liquidity shortage in early April, along with an agreement between some local employees and merchants in the area to disburse aid in the form of checks used exclusively in local shops, in an attempt to prevent the funds from leaking to Sudan.
He added, “The measure was widely rejected by the refugees, leading to ongoing protests that have been ongoing for more than a month.”
According to Isaac, these developments prompted a meeting of the camp’s supervisory committee and community leaders, attended by the city’s governor, the local sultan, and the OCHO organization, which receives complaints.
He confirmed that an official report was submitted to the capital, Bangui, where several concerned employees were questioned and investigated about the reasons behind the decision.
He continued, “Under these circumstances, the humanitarian situation inside the camp has deteriorated, with a severe shortage of medicine, a worsening water crisis, and a deterioration in public services, especially for families who refuse the check system.”
Ishaq stated that the number of families returning to Sudan has risen to 45 so far, while other families continue to leave one after the other, using animals or tok tok, due to the families’ limited means of transportation.