Convoy with food and other essentials arrives in Sudan’s El Geneina

A convoy from Khartoum arrived in El Geneina, West Darfur, yesterday. It carried food and non-food items for the displaced and others affected by the recent events as the city currently experiences severe shortages in essential goods, including food and drinking water.

Newly displaced sought shelter in a schoolyard in centre of El Geneina after the violent attacks in January (social media)

A convoy from Khartoum arrived in El Geneina, West Darfur, yesterday. It carried food and non-food items for the displaced and others affected by the recent events as the city currently experiences severe shortages in essential goods, including food and drinking water.

The convoy was received by activists, the resistance committees, and local authorities.

Displaced people in El Geneina and surrounding camps have complained about the terrible deterioration of the security and humanitarian situations.

Activists told Radio Dabanga that thousands of families living in 10 camps around El Geneina are severely suffering from food shortages. They also explained that the value of the materials provided by humanitarian organisations does not exceed one dollar per family per month.

They also pointed to the terrible deterioration in health services and the great difficulties people experience in obtaining drinking water because most of the wells are defunct due to technical malfunctions. Displaced people also experience a lack of fuel, covers, and tarpaulins or tents.

El Geneina recently witnessed a surge in violence. Most significantly the El Geneina Massacre in January when large groups of armed men from Arab herding communities attacked El Geneina and the two Kerending camps, killing at least 163 people and leaving more than 123,000 people displaced.

In February, a committee of victims from the Kerending camps warned about the impending humanitarian and health disaster in the shelters of El Geneina. They indicated that there was a lack of toilets and medical support, and that food was scarce.