Published: 9 March 2004
Amid continuing violence in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, the Chad Red Cross, supported by the International Federation, has begun transferring refugees who have crossed the border to camps run by the UN refugee agency.
An estimated 110,000 refugees, the majority of them women and children, have crossed into Chad since the conflict flared up. Many more are believed to have been displaced within Darfur. A key part of the international operation to assist those that have entered Chad are 20 trucks, donated by the Norwegian Red Cross and operated by the Chad Red Cross.
The eventual aim is for the M6 trucks to distribute relief items from United Nations agencies to those in need. But they have already been used for a more pressing purpose: With pressure growing on water and sanitation facilities in transit camps, the all-terrain trucks have begun transferring vulnerable refugees to other camps. They are accompanied by Chad Red Cross volunteers, who provide a “human face” to the relief efforts.
“The trucks are versatile and can be used for anything the partners require, from transporting drilling equipment to relocating refugees. We shall see them really coming into their own when the rainy season arrives and normal commercial vehicles are unable to operate,” says Morten Borch-Jenssen, head of the Red Cross transport support programme.
“People are still crossing into Chad, often having left their belongings behind and having seen their loved-ones killed,” says Abdoulaye Saleh, head of the Chad Red Cross in the border town of Tine. “While they are in a relatively good physical condition, it is clear that the crisis will not be resolved in the coming months, so we have to ensure their longer-term welfare. The trucks are very welcome and will greatly improve the assistance we can give to these vulnerable people.”