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West Darfur Tribal Clash Death Toll Rises to 87

Nabeel Biajo

   WASHINGTON - The death toll from inter-communal clashes in Sudan's West
   Darfur state has climbed to 87, with 191 people injured, according to
   the United Nations.

   Thousands have fled the state capital, El Geneina, where fighting has
   raged for several days between Arab militia and Masalit tribesmen.
   About 3,300 people fled the neighborhoods of Hay Al Jabal, Al Jamarik,
   Althawra and Tadamon to nearby mosques and public buildings, the United
   Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
   said. Some civilians fled to neighboring Chad.
   The OCHA statement said urgent medical assistance is needed as
   hospitals in El Geneina are understaffed and operating under a power
   blackout, with no running water and shortages of drugs.

   Video posted from El Geneina on Monday and Tuesday showed fires burning
   across the town. Several hospitals were destroyed by rocket-propelled
   grenades, and one RPG smashed into a U.N. compound. Eyewitnesses said
   armed militiamen burned down the Abu Zar camp for the internally
   displaced.

   El Geneina is a regional hub for aid delivery and the suspension of
   humanitarian operations will have repercussions across the state. All
   humanitarian operations have been suspended until the security
   situation improves, said OCHA.

   At a virtual briefing Tuesday, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric
   praised Sudan's transitional government for the security measures it
   has taken to contain the violence in West Darfur state.

   Sources in El Geneina said relative calm returned to the town by
   Tuesday afternoon, although markets remained closed and roads into and
   out of the city were blocked.

   "The secretary-general's special representative for the country, Volker
   Perthes, welcomed the decision by the country's Security and Defense
   Council to declare a state of emergency to contain the situation in
   West Darfur," said Dujarric.

   Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people across the state will be
   affected by the destruction and massive displacement, said Dujarric.

   "Due to the violence, the delivery of aid to West Darfur has been
   suspended and humanitarian flights have been cancelled, preventing aid
   from reaching 700,000 human beings. Humanitarian partners have been
   providing food, health, sanitation and protection to people in and
   around El Geneina," said Dujarric.

   The United Nations is calling on donors to provide $2 billion to help
   displaced and vulnerable people in Darfur as well as those in other
   parts of the country.

   Conflict between the Masalit and the Arab communities started in
   mid-January, soon after the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping
   mission, UNAMID, withdrew from Darfur.

   The January fighting led to the displacement of more than 109,000
   people, according to the U.N. Most internally displaced persons are
   sheltering in schools and health facilities in El Geneina. An estimated
   10,000 IDPs are displaced in four villages outside of the town, said
   the U.N.