From Feb. 8 to Feb. 10, the Sudanese army, assisted by militias, launched a large offensive in Northwest Darfur, Sudan. This military offensive, one of the most violent over the past few years, resulted in the immediate flight of the local population in an attempt to escape the violence, and the forced interruption of all medical activities in Seleia, where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) had been running a health centre project since 2006.

The MSF team present in neighbouring Chad confirms that at least 7,000 new refugees, including some MSF Sudanese staff , reached the area of Birak, Chad after fleeing the towns of Abu Suruj, Sirba and Seleia, all now emptied of their inhabitants. This is only a fraction of the 50,000 civilians estimated to be directly affected by the offensive.

According to the refugees, the attacks started on Feb. 8, with aerial bombardment by military planes and attack helicopters. Testimonies of refugees tell the horror of the violence they were faced with. “We saw the soldiers surrounding our town before they started looting our houses setting them on fire,” said one of the inhabitants of Seleia who arrived in the Birak region. The MSF compound was attacked and looted, despite the fact that many women and children had sought refuge in the medical structure. Furthermore, the displaced population reports being further attacked, threatened and looted by roaming militias, while en route to Chad during the night.

The refugees in Chad have gathered around villages, under trees, and have nothing but the clothes they wore when they fled. The MSF team has started to care for some of the wounded in need of urgent medical care. The immediate priorities are to provide access to clean water and distribute shelter blankets, as the area is particularly cold and windy, and to set up medical consultations.

“MSF is extremely worried about the fate of those populations that were left behind” declares Huub Verhagen, MSF head of field operations for Chad and Sudan. “Many families have been separated during the attack and are without news of those who remain in Darfur.”

Access to the region north of El Genina has been systematically refused to our international staff in Sudan since mid-December 2007, despite reports of deteriorating humanitarian conditions and the need to carry out a rapid health assessment after the recent attacks. MSF is deeply concerned by the situation and requests all those involved in the conflict to allow free and unhindered access to people in dire need of emergency assistance.

MSF medical teams have been working on both sides of the border between Chad and Darfur,Sudan since 2004, providing care for populations directly affected by the conflict. In Seleia, MSF has provided a range of medical services including antenatal and surgical care, with an average of 1,500 consultations per month. In mid-December 2007, the international staff in Seleia were temporarily evacuated; they have since then repeatedly requested authorization to return to the area.

Related News:

 MSF expelled from areas of South Darfur, Sudan - 04.03.2009 16:17