Continued fighting in South Kordofan brings more refugees to South Sudan
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By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
May 3, 2012 (BENTIU) - Recent fighting between the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army–North (SPLA-N) rebels and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)
in Julud and Talodi, South Kordofan state has led to an increasing
number of people fleeing across the national border into Unity state
of South Sudan.
By the end of April, Sudanese rebels in South Kordofan tried once
again to take the control of Talodi which located near the border with
the South Sudan. But the government forces repelled the attack, as the
area is seen strategic for both parties.
On Wednesday and Thursday over 600 people arrived at Yida refugee
camp, Unity state, according to the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) and
Samaritan’s Purse (SP), who are logging entrants at the registration
point.
Fatima Halima who was displaced from Julud in the west of South
Kordofan described the recent clashes between rebels and SAF as
disastrous for the people leaving there. She said the conflict was
causing acute suffering to the women and children of the state.
Halima lost her husband in August when SAF planes bombed their area.
She said she had been lucky to reach the refugee camp.
Halima described a difficult life in South Kordofan where under the
threat of bombing raids people struggled to carry on the daily lives;
going to the field to farm or tend their cattle. She said many
children had been left behind and many had died in the ongoing
conflict.
Many of the refugees travelled without food for days, surviving on
leaves and roots for sustenance.
Medicins Sans Frontieres and SP said they have admitted into their
treatment centre, more than a hundred children suffering from
malnutrition.
Mohamed Sadig Hassan, a nutrition nurse with SIR described the
situation with regards to the admission of sick children as worsening.
The WFP is distributing emergency foods and MSF is vaccinating people
at the point of entry, before they are allocated land for settlement
in Yida refugee camp. The aids agencies’ working in Yida confirm that
during the last two days they have received a large number of refugees
fleeing from recent fighting in the Western Nuba region of South
Kordofan.
A post-secession, botched attempt by SAF to disarm troops which had
been loyal to South Sudan initiated a conflict which had been brought
to the brink by the contested gubernatorial election success of
Khartoum’s candidate in the state; Ahmed Haroun – a man wanted by the
International Criminal Court for the crimes he committed in Darfur.
(ST)
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