Darfur - Updated Statistics on Humanitarian Access

by Michael Bear

category: Humanitarian Relief

Published October 31, 2008 @ 04:51PM PT

Earlier this week, the UN released the most recent Darfur Humanitarian Profile, which provides updated information through October 1st.  According to the report:

"During the third quarter of 2008, the crisis in Darfur reached a new depth. Wide-spread violence and insecurity continued to trigger large population displacements into IDP settlements, exacerbating the already critical conditions in the overcrowded camps at the peak of the rainy season.

At the same time, humanitarian access especially to the conflict-affected populations in remote areas received further blows as a result of the continuing general insecurity and targeted violence against humanitarian workers and assets."

Overall, 90,000 people were displaced in the three months from July through September, bringing the total number of people displaced this year to 290,000.

Humanitarian access has also fallen to its lowest level since October 2006.

Over the past week alone, Janjaweed forces attacked Kassab displaced persons camp, which houses 25,000 people, while a South African peacekeeper was killed in an ambush in the same area.  A second peacekeeper was seriously wounded.

(For more information, see my co-blogger Michelle's recent posts.)

Other statistics and highlights (if you will) below:

- "By 1 October 2008, there were nearly 2.7 million Internally Displaced Persons in Darfur, up from 2.5 million in July. These numbers are likely to increase in the coming months following the large scale Government military operation in North Darfur and militia attacks in South Darfur during the month of September, whereby tens of thousands of people were driven from their homes."

- "During the third quarter of 2008, some 90,000 people have been newly displaced in Darfur, 290,000 since the beginning of the year. In the whole of 2007, some 300,000 people had been displaced."

- "In September 2008, overall UN accessibility in Darfur dropped to 65%, almost as low as in October 2006."

- "Two major NGOs suspended their activities in North Darfur in August as a result of repeated attacks against their personnel and assets. As a result, 65,000 people were temporarily left without health care and 415,000 without food assistance."

- "Continuing insecurity in the region posed serious challenges to WFP operations; reduced access to beneficiaries, shrinking humanitarian space, and a slow-down in food deliveries leading to ration cuts. Insecurity prevented access to 250,000 in September; the highest so far this year."

- "Between July and October, one national humanitarian worker was killed and 12 wounded. Armed men assaulted 68 humanitarian centres/compounds."

- "So far this year, 11 national humanitarians have been killed against 13 during the whole year 2007. One hundred and forty-four times humanitarian premises have been assaulted/broken into during the first nine months of 2008 against 93 for] the whole of 2007."

- "From July to October, 50 humanitarian vehicles were hijacked, bringing the tally to 225 so far in 2008. This last number includes 100 WFP contracted and fleet trucks hijacked in 2008, thereby seriously hampering food supplies to Darfur.

- "During these hijackings, 31 staff members were temporarily abducted during the third quarter of the year, 170 so far this year."

- "Of serious concern was the forceful interference by local and Khartoum-based HAC officials who visited several NGO premises in Nyala and Kass (South Darfur) at the end of August, and interrogated, harassed and bullied staff. NGOs were forced to disclose their computer passwords, and sensitive files especially in the fields of protection and GBV were searched, copied and taken away."

- "The numbers of national and international humanitarian workers in the region has dropped to 16,366 aid workers, reflecting a decrease in national staff. Sudanese national still constitute around 94% of the total numbers of humanitarian workers in Darfur. Some 85 NGOs and Red Cross/Crescent Movement and 16 UN agencies (including IOM) continue to support the 4.7 million conflict-affected populations in Darfur, making it the largest humanitarian operation in the world."

[Photo of women in Darfur from the Chicago Coalition to Save Darfur]