Between 2000 to 3000 refugees and displaced people are badly in need of help in Timsa in the border area between south-western Darfur and Raja County of South Sudan, according to a medical officer.
Timsa is cut off from Raja with no telephone network and no passable roads at this time of year. Radio Tamazuj obtained a first-hand account of the situation there from a medical officer who recently arrived Raja town, but cannot independently verify the report.
Idris Teldidi, the medical worker from Timsa, explained that refugees fled from South Darfur due to the ongoing conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces and rebel groups in Darfur while the ‘internally displaced people’ (IDPs) have escaped fighting between the South Sudan Army and SAF in border areas claimed by South Sudan including Firka and Sirmologa.
“There are many people coming on foot and I left them registering their names in Timsa,’’ Idris told Radio Tamazuj.
The witness added that these refugees and the IDPS are coming without anything in their hands, not even bedding or food items.
“It is only the host community and businessmen of Timsa who made a contribution to save their situation but now things are getting out of their hand,’’ he added.
Idris Teldidi said that he has written to many NGOs informing them about the situation of those Sudanese refugees and the IDPS coming from Firka, Sir Molaga and South Darfur.
The medical worker explained that the little medicine he had there in Timsa at the time the refugees arrived is finished. He has come to Raja to collect more medicine from the county civil hospital. The officer complained that it will be difficult to transport these supplies to Timsa because the road has been flooded by water from the River Boro and other small streams along the way. He appealed to UNMISS to assist them with their helicopter so that they can rush with the drugs to those in Timsa.
“The road is very bad and full of water so cars cannot pass there, only motorbikes,” complained Idris.
He added that there is serious hunger due to shortage of food in Timsa among the host community, refugees and IDPs, causing people to resort to eating roots from the bush.
Idris disclosed to Radio Tamazuj that of those refugees and the IDPs who are coming to Timsa, many of them are suffering from watery stool, malaria and epilepsy.
Idris calls on the UN and other humanitarian organization to respond to rescue the needy people who are now under bad condition.
Children under five years old in Timsa missed the ongoing general vaccination campaign in the county due to flooding from the River Boro which made the road impassable. Many NGOs and the government tried to access the area but it was difficult. Timsa is more than 100 kilometers from Raja and even movement there by motorbike is not safe.
By Godfrey Victor Bulla