Displaced people at Al-Karama 3 camp in Damazin, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile region, face deteriorating humanitarian conditions after heavy rains in recent days, amid complaints of shortages of food, shelter, and healthcare services.
Nearly 100,000 people have reportedly been displaced across Blue Nile State in recent months, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Thuraya, a displaced woman from Al-Keili in Al-Kurmuk locality, said the war had forced her to flee to Damazin, only to find herself facing harsh conditions inside the camp.
“We are sitting in mud and rainwater, with shortages of food and an increase in mosquitoes,” she said.
Thuraya called on the government to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people, saying: “We came here fleeing areas affected by armed conflict, but we found nothing being provided for us.”
She said continued shortages of healthcare, food and shelter could prompt some displaced people to consider returning to their areas of origin despite the security risks there.
“The government brought us here so that we would not become refugees, but conditions here at Al-Karama camp are bad,” she said, adding that she would prefer to return to her home area rather than continue living under such conditions.
Another displaced person from Al-Kurmuk locality said people at the camp were enduring difficult conditions, with some sleeping on the ground amid mud and rainwater.
He said displaced people had been able to adapt to the circumstances but called on the government to fulfil its responsibilities towards them.
Amid deteriorating health conditions and limited medical services, a doctor who requested anonymity said schistosomiasis was among the diseases reported at Al-Karama 3 camp. She attributed the spread of the disease to contaminated water sources and the camp’s proximity to the Nile.
“Some displaced people were using local water sources for bathing and drinking, potentially increasing their exposure to diseases associated with contaminated water,” she said.
The deteriorating conditions coincide with a visit by the Federal Humanitarian Aid Commissioner to Blue Nile State, as displaced people call for increased humanitarian assistance.
Radio Tamazuj was unable to obtain an immediate response from the Humanitarian Aid Commission regarding the displaced people’s complaints about shortages of assistance.
The situation comes amid continued armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Al-Kurmuk and Geissan localities.
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