sneak a peek

Unsere Kollegen in Darfur sind vor zwei Tagen überfallen worden. Medair hat eine Pressemitteilung zur Situation veröffentlicht:

Sudan (Northern States) - A staff member was slightly injured when shots were fired during an armed raid on a Medair compound in El Geneina, West Darfur. The compound provides a base for staff who provide essential health and water services to over 200,000 conflict-affected people in this remote part of Sudan.

In the early hours of Sunday, 19 July, a Medair compound in El Geneina, the state capital of West Darfur, suffered an armed raid. During the raid on the compound, an international staff member was hit by metal fragments when shots were fired, apparently in an attempt to force entry to a building. The other staff present were shaken but unharmed, although important communications and IT equipment were stolen. The injured staff member received immediate medical attention at a United Nations medical facility, and full recovery is expected.

The compound provides accommodation for Medair’s expatriate staff working in the region, who directly manage Medair’s life-saving humanitarian work in the surrounding areas. This vital work includes supporting 20 primary health care facilities and providing safe drinking water for over 200,000 people.

“Medair is the longest serving operational NGO in El Geneina, having worked tirelessly in West Darfur since 2001,” said Michael Sidman, Medair’s Desk Officer for the Northern States of Sudan. “It is fortunate that our colleague suffered only minor injuries, but this situation could easily have been much worse. If our staff are not safe staying in the town, it will be difficult for us to sustain our life-saving activities at this critical time.”

“An attack on a known humanitarian compound, shooting at staff, and theft of assets are all unacceptable,” said John Farmer, Medair’s Operations Director. “Medair is an independent non-governmental organisation. It is neutral and impartial in conflicts and its sole mandate is to bring life-saving relief in disaster situations. Its staff and assets should be protected and respected.”

Medair appreciates the rapid assistance that was provided to its staff by the local authorities and United Nations in the aftermath of this incident. While it remains committed to its humanitarian work in Sudan, in view of the severity of this attack, Medair has temporarily withdrawn all of its relocatable staff who were affected by the incident from Darfur to Khartoum for consultations and a review of the situation. However, life-saving activities are continuing and Medair hopes to be able to maintain its work, in collaboration with the relevant authorities, for as long as needs exist, and its staff are able to safely access those in need.

www.medair.org

Deshalb heute ein Danke an all jene, die uns und unsere Kollegen im Gebet begleiten!