Rome (Fides Service) - According to the UNICEF office in Khartoum, thousands of children in Darfur die every day of preventable or curable diseases or as a result of violence suffered during attacks on villages and camps.
The death rate among displaced persons here is ten times higher than in the rest of Sudan. Every month between 6 and 10 thousand people die because of the conflict.
Some 1.5 million civilians are affected directly or indirectly by the crisis: more than 1.2 million are internally displaced in Darfur and at least 190,000 have fled to Chad for safety where it is feared thousands of others will arrive soon. UNICEF said that 2/3 of the civilians affected are women and children.
Life in the camps is unbearable with night time temperature below freezing, lack of food and basic necessities, sanitation and medical care with consequent risk of epidemics, as well as malnutrition all of which are pushing the infant mortality rate to a dramatic high.
About 75 per cent of the children die of acute diarrhoea or fever, respiratory infections or injuries caused during attacks on villages and camps.
UNICEF is providing medical and feeding units, clean water, tent-schools, school books, psycho-social counselling for traumatised victims of violence in the area, but thousands of abused women and children living in disastrous conditions threaten to undermine even the most ambitious humanitarian aid plans. (AP) (25/10/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:26; Parole:307)