Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service)- In southern Chad operators of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR are urging the competent authorities to transfer about 10,000 refugees who fled here from the Central African Republic CAR in early June to escape violence. According to a UNHCR report sent to Fides these refugees from CAR, many who fled with only they clothes they were wearing, are sheltered in 17 villages in the area of the town of Gore and they risk being excluded from humanitarian aid as soon as the rain season starts.
While waiting for the transfer to be made possible UNHCR has distributed among the refugees plastic sheeting, blankets and high protein food, provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF. The local people are generously doing all they can to help the refugees who shelter in makeshift shelters made of leaves and sticks. Many of the women and children so signs of undernourishment after days of drinking river water and eating only roots and wild berries. Sanitary and health conditions are precarious.
These people fled here in early June to escape violence in fighting between government troops and umidentified armed groups. The last arrived on June 21 and since then no new arrivals have been registered. Although after the episode in CAR on June 3 no further actions of disorder were reproted, the refugees say for the moment they will not return to their villages fearing more violence. In southern Chad there are already about 30,000 refugees from CAR in two camps, one at Amboko in Gore province and the other at Yaroungou in Danamadji province. Most of them fled here following a military coup in 2003. Chad also has over 200,000 refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan presently sheltering in 12 camps in the eastern part of Chad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 6/7/2005 righe 31 parole 390)
