DARFUR - INTERSOS REACHES ISOLATED VILLAGES
INTERSOS, 27TH August 2004

Al Geneina (Western Darfur), 27th August 2004

After many months of isolation, finally the people living or displaced in the Southern area of Al Geneina and suffered from the attacks of the janjaweed, will have some response to their priority needs. INTERSOS has just opened its third operational base in Habila, Western Darfur, to start new humanitarian operations in the villages of the areas of Beida, Mornei, Foro Buranga, Bindizi. Tens of thousands of displaced people, so far isolated, have received some assistance for the first time. Particularly, children are suffering because of lack of food. Children have received the high-protein biscuits arrived few days ago with a humanitarian flight from Italy.
Habilla is a strategic place. It is located in the centre of the North-South axis and it is very close to the borders with Chad, where INTERSOS is managing two camps with 32,000 Sudanese refugees, in collaboration with UNHCR and ECHO. This presence will improve the possibility to develop future humanitarian operations at the border between the two countries, also in view of the return of refugees when security conditions will be established.
Furthermore, INTERSOS, together with UNHCR, will soon start an analysis and monitoring of the situation in the southern area of Al Geneina, in order to gain a clear and detailed picture of the situation of displaced people and their needs. On 25th August, INTERSOS has received in Al Geneina the Italian Ambassador to Sudan, Mr. Lorenzo Angeloni, arrived together with the Special Envoy of the United Nations for Darfur. In the coming days the Italian Ambassador will visit INTERSOS area of operation, particularly the districts of Habilla and Wadi Sahli in Western Darfur, to verify directly the conditions of the displaced people and the activities of the humanitarian workers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian Cooperation) is actively supporting INTERSOS in the emergency phase: thanks to the Italian Cooperation we have managed to have the two humanitarian flights: the first on 18th August, the second on 24th August reached Al Geneina with their cargo of humanitarian aid. In total 10 tons of high-protein biscuits, 18,500 jerry cans, 5,500 buckets, water tanks, two 4x4 cars, tents, generators and other logistic materials. All this will be distributed by INTERSOS in the area of intervention, to the population which is also benefiting of sanitation projects (construction of latrines and supply of drinkable water) and hygiene promotion campaigns, in cooperation with UNICEF and ECHO, with the aim to prevent the outburst of epidemics, such as E-Hepatitis.

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