Medical assistance to IDPs in Kutum
9 August 2012. Kutum: Fatma Abdarraman, a woman resident in Kassab camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), in Kutum (North Darfur), is assisted by doctors due to several injuries in her legs.
The civilian population in Kutum received today the first humanitarian assistance since the area was attacked on 1 August. A school in the surroundings of the village has been used as a provisional medical center.
A medical team formed by UNAMID, World Health Organization (WHO), the NGO Goal and the Ministry of Health of the Government of Sudan assisted about 200 people, mostly women and children with injuries from the attacks and other kind of diseases due to the lack of food and potable water.
The series of incidents began on 1 August when the Commissioner of the district of Alwaha, in Kutum town, and his driver were shot dead and his vehicle was carjacked by three unknown armed men. Later in the day, the official’s vehicle was recovered by Government of Sudan security agents 2 kilometres from the Kassab internally displaced persons (IDP) camp.
Subsequently, on the same day armed men surrounded Kassab, looted the market, burnt down the Sudanese Police post in the camp and reportedly killed four persons (three civilians and one police officer) and injured six others.
Similar events leading to the deterioration in the security and humanitarian situation occurred the following days in and around Kutum town, Kassab and Fataborno IDP camps, including fighting between the armed elements and Government Forces, as well as looting and displacement of civilians.
Photo by Albert González Farran - UNAMID