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| Africa Horn |
| Recent Darfur violence displaces 40,000 people |
| 2008-10-19 |
| An increase in violence in North Darfur last month has displaced at least 40,000 people, many of whom could be short of food and water, a United Nations official said on Saturday. Gregory Alex, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in northern Darfur, said around 24,000 people fled their homes after clashes between government and rebel forces near the areas of Birmaza and Disa. The rest were displaced because of other forms of violence, including tribal fighting, Alex told reporters in a telephone interview from al-Fasher, North Darfur's state capital. "Some of them left with what they could carry. We are presuming that whatever resources they took with them are now depleted," Alex said. "Anybody who leaves home abruptly and moves to the countryside will have all these needs. And the longer they stay, the more problems they have." Alex earlier estimated the total number of people who had fled their homes in North Darfur at 50,000. |
| Posted by:Fred |