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No aid without security for Darfur's displaced
10 December 2010
The recent kidnapping of three aid workers in Darfur has served as another reminder of the ongoing direct threats to aid workers in the region. With the conflict still on-going, increased insecurity continues to seriously hamper the delivery of aid programmes.
“The current situation is very risky in terms of staff safety, ”Gamba Okilo*, Security Officer for an international NGO in Darfur explains. “It is unstable and unpredictable. No one knows what will happen next.”
Since the outbreak of violence between armed groups and the government of Sudan in spring 2003, an estimated 300,000 Darfuris have lost their lives, and 2.7 million have been forcefully displaced. Those who have been displaced are now living in camps, largely dependent up on aid agencies for survival.
The biggest threats to relief workers in Darfur are kidnappings, abductions, robberies and assaults. Hijackings and kidnappings can sometimes occur because different armed factions want to show their political might, that they are ruling over and controlling different areas and groups of IDPs.
Faizah Uba*, Human Resources Officer for an international agency working in Darfur, comments: “It’s really difficult for staff to work when it’s not safe. When they undertake distributions they will do it in a hurry because they want to get back to the town as soon as they can. Sometimes at night in the camps, when staff are sleeping, they are threatened. Some staff from our organisation have lost their lives. Others have been threatened and injured. One person lost their leg. Another member of our staff was kidnapped and held for some time.”
A number of agencies in Darfur have lost staff members since the outbreak of the conflict. Gamba explains: “One night a group of unknown people began shooting indiscriminately in the camp. Our staff were shot at. One staff members passed away and the other received minor injuries.”
Insecurity hampers relief efforts
The security situation in Darfur has an immediate effect on the delivery of programmes to IDPs living in camps. Faizah explains: “Three members of staff were kidnapped recently. During this time we had to stop all of our programmes, across all areas. We were not able to undertake distributions, education or sanitation programmes to the people living in camps. Community leaders from the camps were coming to us and telling us that they needed food and their children needed education. But we were forced to stay away, because it’s not safe.”
Working in the context of such insecurity places a huge amount of pressure on relief workers and often results in a high turnover of staff. Benson comments: “The impact of the changing security situation is that the quality of programmes delivered by NGOs is affected. The turnover of staff uses up time and resources but doesn’t achieve anything.”
RedR training
RedR is delivering vital safety and security training to local and international relief workers.
“RedR has trained us in how to be safe and how to make assessments to make sure our staff are safe,” Faizah explains. “We’ve been trained in how to deal with different incidents and how I can support staff if they have been involved in any incidents. RedR trains our guards and drivers so they can keep themselves and their colleagues safe.”
RedR also runs a staff welfare programme for relief workers who have been affected by incidents, so that they receive the support they need to deal with trauma and stress management.
Insecurity in Darfur will not abate easily. “Soon there will be a referendum in South Sudan,” Benson explains. “The feeling is that if South Sudan breaks away from the rest of Sudan, the chances are the security situation in Darfur might also change.”
With an unpredictable future, there is clear, ongoing need to train relief workers in safety and security in Darfur, in order to keep them safe and make sure that aid continues to reach people affected by the conflict.
*The names of individuals and their organisations have been changed to protect their identity.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra courtesy of www.alertnet.org
