More than 16,000 Ethiopian refugees living in refugee camps in eastern Sudan have been affected by several weeks of storms that have razed tents and destroyed infrastructure, the UN worried on Tuesday (June 29th).
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In a statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is in a race against time and the elements to repair and strengthen shelters, and ensure that affected families have access to drinking water and safe latrines. These storms began in late May, and are expected to intensify further during the rainy season, which runs from June to October, UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov told a press briefing in Geneva.
More than 16,000 Ethiopian refugees lived in the Um Rakuba and Tunaydbah refugee camps in eastern Sudan. “
Almost 4,000 individual family tents out of a total of 10,000 were damaged by high winds, heavy rains and hailstorms. Emergency latrines and other facilities were also destroyed,
”said Boris Cheshirkov. “We are replacing blankets and sleeping mats and restocking food stocks. Distribution of 2,500 emergency shelter kits - including ropes, wooden poles and bamboo stakes - is underway to help those most affected strengthen their tents. “
In total, 10,000 emergency shelter kits will be distributed,and 5000 others are pre-positioned in stock
“, He detailed.
UNHCR and its partners are currently finalizing the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 60 kilometers of road to Um Rakuba and Tunaydbah, in order to guarantee access to the camps as well as to some 15 villages in the host community during the season. rains.
Aid organizations are also digging drainage systems at the two sites to mitigate the risk of further flooding.
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UNHCR also plans to build traditional shelters that are more durable than tents called tukuls - small, round-shaped huts made of mud bricks and thatch, typical of the area. "
But we will not be able to start building them until after the end of the rainy season, when the bricks can dry properly,
" said the spokesperson. Last year, heavy seasonal rains affected hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, refugees and host communities in Sudan.