The UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, on Monday revealed that Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix will visit Sudan, South Sudan, and Abyei from Tuesday, February 18th, until the 24th.
He said that in Port Sudan, discussions with government officials will focus on strengthening cooperation and coordination to support peacekeeping efforts in the Abyei region.
“And just to give you a bit more of a dive in the rather depressing humanitarian situation in Sudan, which remains extremely worrying, we are especially deeply concerned about the impact of violence on civilians in and around the Zamzam displacement camp in Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state,” Dujarric said. “Following the escalation of hostilities in Zamzam over the past week, about 5,500 people were displaced and sought safety and shelter in Shamal Jabal Marrah locality in Central Darfur State.”
“There were also reports of others seeking to leave the area being prevented from doing so due to the intensity of the fighting and key exit routes being blocked,” he added.
According to the UN mouthpiece, Zamzam is one of the areas in Sudan facing famine, and the total number of newly displaced people in the Shamal Jabal Marrah has now risen to more than 120,000, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
He disclosed that aid agencies have provided food assistance to about 93,000 of the newly displaced people and that some 53,000 people have received emergency shelter and other supplies.
After the visit to Sudan, Lacroix will then head to South Sudan, where he will meet in Juba with government officials and other key partners to discuss ongoing peace operations both in South Sudan and Abyei, where the UN has peacekeeping operations.
“And just another example of the importance of maintaining the safety and security of UN personnel, our peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that one of its Blue Helmets was injured by shrapnel in Nassir County in Upper Nile State over the weekend,” Dujarric stated. “This comes as a UN peacekeeping patrol was on a pre-planned visit in the County when violent clashes erupted between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed youth. The fighting reportedly led to civilian casualties, as well as large-scale displacement.”
He said the UN Mission strongly condemns the incident and is engaging with authorities and communities to restore calm.
“Discussions will include our support to the peace process, as well as assessing the region’s evolving security dynamics. In both Sudan and South Sudan, he will meet with representatives of the UN on the ground,” he further divulged. “Mr. Lacroix is scheduled to be in Abyei where he will engage with the leadership of our peacekeeping mission there, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and meet with representatives of the Abyei administrations and well as with traditional leaders. He will also engage with civil society organizations and local communities, including women’s and youth groups.”