30,000 Civilians Displaced in Four Localities in South Kordofan

The following table details the numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have reached the four specified localities of Um-Dorain, West Kadugli, Heiban and Dallami by the 16th of July. The total number of displaced persons in the 4 localities is 29,112 of whom 4,767 are children under the age of five. All of them are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance including food, clean water and medical help.

Date 16/07/2011

The conflict in South Kordofan continues to affect civilians and displace them from their homelands. During the rainy season the population of the Nuba mountains cultivate their land and acquire food for themselves and to sell to other areas of Sudan. The current mass displacement means that food production has been severely disrupted which will have a significant impact on medium term food security for communities in South Kordofan. It will also impact on the availability of food in the whole country.

According to the BBC on 19/07/2011:

“A UN report has warned that war crimes may have been committed in Sudan's South Kordofan region. The report, leaked to the BBC, said both government and rebel forces were guilty of atrocities but the army's actions were ‘especially egregious’."

It called for a special investigation into the conflict, which has displaced about 70,000 people. Sudan's government says it is responding to rebel attacks in the region which borders South Sudan.

The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Khartoum, says the report refers to summary executions, aerial bombardments and the shelling of neighbourhoods.“

Given that it is increasingly clear that the international community is not ignorant of what is happening on the ground the lack of effective action to provide assistance to those in desperate need becomes ever more shameful.

Recommendations

SUDO (UK) is calling on the international community including the UN, Governments
and International NGOs to take urgent measures to:

1. provide immediate humanitarian assistance to IDPs displaced by the fighting in South Kordofan including food, clean water, shelter and medical assistance;
2. press both sides to the conflict to end attacks on the civilian population and to allow safe access for humanitarian assistance;
3. take steps to ensure humanitarian protection for the population of South Kordofan living inside and outside the camps;
4. press for the establishment of an Independent Commission of Inquiry into the massive human rights violations which have taken place in South Kordofan.