UNICEF Says People Fleeing South Kordofan To Unknow Places

Khartoum
16 June, 2011 (Sudan Radio Service)

The United Nations’ Children Fund, UNICEF, says the situation of the population in Southern Kordofan state is “alarming” following last week clashes.

The UNICEF Chief of Communication, Simon Ingram from Khartoum, said that the displaced people in Southern Kordofan are living in what he described as “terrible condition”.

[Simon Ingram]: “It is extremely difficult, we have seen that armed clashes, military engagement have been taking place in different parts of the province, and we have seen scattering of the civilian population to different locations. In many instances we are simply unable to tell exactly where the population has gone to. We know that there are movements in some areas in and around Kadugli for example, we have got other population around Kauda and around Talodi—these are just few of the areas where we know that groups of civilians have gone. So these movements are continuing, people are simply fleeing for their lives, they are going, and they are going wherever they feel safe, but clearly their situation is very, very perilous”.

Mister Ingram said UNICEF was encouraged by the recent meeting between President Al-Bashir and Salva Kiir in Addis Abba, hoping that the outcome of the meeting would improve the situation.

[Simon Ingram]: “We are of course encouraged by what has happened in the past couple of days. We have seen there is probably the signal that has come out of the high level meeting between President Bashir and First Vice President Salva Kiir in Addis Abba in Ethiopia and we really hope that this will be a first step towards ensuring that we see progress on the ground and that the alarming situation of the civilians caught up in the hostilities would be very, very soon be allowed to improve.”.

Mister Ingram said UNICEF is concerned about the future of the people displaced by war in the Nuba Mountains.

The Nuba Mountains Homepage was made by Nanne op 't Ende.
You can contact me here.