SUDAN: "Humanitarian crisis" in Bentiu region

NAIROBI, 11 August (IRIN) - More than 34,000 war displaced people have arrived in the government-controlled towns of Bentiu and Rob Kona, El Ouahda region, since the beginning of July. The displaced are in an "alarming nutritional state" and constitute a humanitarian crisis, according to a press release issued on Thursday by the New York-based NGO Action Against Hunger (AAH).

Between 28-31 July alone, 19,000 displaced people, mainly women and children arrived within a 100 km radius around Bentiu. Bentiu is an oil producing, contested area in the Nuba mountains region. "Bentiu and Rob Kona are already facing a situation of critical food shortage, which is becoming catastrophic with this influx of displaced people", said AAH. The area is about 800 km south of Khartoum.

Displaced people were living in deplorable conditions in marshy areas and lacking shelter in heavy rains, the press release said. People and cattle were living together in a very small area, creating water and sanitation problems. "Tension is increasing due to lack of food and over-population", AAH said. The NGO said it had launched an emergency relief programme in response to the crisis.

Teams were preparing to open a therapeutic feeding centre in Bentiu, and several supplementary feeding centres in Bentiu and Rob Kona.