Darfur: Fleeing civilians short of blankets and food

KHARTOUM, 20 November (IRIN) -

Several thousand civilians who have fled armed militia attacks in Birmaza, North Darfur State, and sought shelter in nearby hills, have no blankets or food, and only limited access to water after bombings last week targeted water points, the United Nations said.

The attacks, allegedly carried out by Janjawid militias and Sudanese armed forces on 15 and 16 November, have been described by the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) as "a flagrant violation of the security provisions" of the Darfur peace agreement. The attackers stole livestock and destroyed houses, prompted 3,000 civilians to flee.

The UN, in an update on the situation issued on Sunday, said another 5,000 civilians had fled attacks on 17 and 18 November in Jebel Mara area of West Darfur to shelter in mountains and internally displaced people (IDP) camps. Read more >>>