ReliefWeb

Last updated: 9 Apr 2021

KEY POINTS

• More government security forces visible in Ag Geneina starting 7 February
• Following 30 hours of quiet, gunfire heard in Ag Geneina at mid-day on 8 February
• Electricity resumed on 7 April after a 24-hour outage
• Partial resumption of water supplies on 8 April after a two-day stoppage
• Reports of two IDP camps and four gathering sites attacked
• West Darfur State Doctors Committee cautions that health services will collapse within days
• Aid delivery and humanitarian flights remain suspended

SITUATION

Fighting in Ag Geneina Town has affected humanitarian operations in West Darfur and Central Darfur states. Ag Geneina Town is an important humanitarian hub from where organizations assist about 700,000 vulnerable people in these states. This suspension of humanitarian operations puts the lives of 128,000 people—who were targeted for humanitarian aid in Ag Geneina locality in 2021—at risk. Inter-communal clashes between the Massalit and Arab tribes erupted in mid-January 2021, displaced over 109,000 people and generated new needs.

Preliminary findings indicate that Abuzar internally displaced persons (IDP) camp (which hosts about 14,000 IDPs), Al Sadaga IDP camp, and four gathering sites have been partially burnt. People from Abuzar IDP camp have taken refuge in Hujaj IDP camp and the neighbourhoods of Al Jamarik and Al Madrassa. HAC reports that about 4,800 people in Ag Geneina Town have been affected by this new conflict. The number of people affected is likely to increase as more information becomes available. Power and water supplies have been restored in some parts of the town and markets have partially reopened. The majority of IDP gathering sites do not have access to water, according to partners in Ag Geneina.

There are reports of IDPs being unable to access health services due to the insecurity and that health staff and facilities have been attacked. This, together with dwindling supplies, puts the provision of health services to the whole population of Ag Geneina locality, about 627,000 people, at risk of disease outbreaks. According to media reports, the West Darfur State Doctors’ Committee warned that health services will collapse within days without urgent medical interventions. Supply teams have not been able to reach warehouses due to the security situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has only been able to supply one trauma kit—enough to treat 100 cases—to Ag Geneina hospital. Another trauma kit will be provided once the security situation allows. On 7 April, medical supply vehicles and ambulance reportedly came under fire while trying to reach WHO warehouses. On 8 April, the Doctors’ Committee announced that the death toll had reached 87 and 191 were injured.

As of 7 April, eyewitnesses report that government security forces have started patrolling the town. There are reports that additional security forces deployed from Nyala, South Darfur. On 5 April, the Security and Defence Council authorized state regular and security organs to stop the conflict by using military force, in addition to continuing the campaign for forcible collection of weapons and deterring anyone who carries weapons outside the legitimate framework. Negotiations by a government delegation for a ceasefire between tribal leaders from the two communities are reportedly taking place in West Darfur.

Humanitarian operations and flights remain suspended. Humanitarian staff are ready to deploy to Ag Geneina once the security situation allows.