Red Cross reaches rural areas of Darfur as insecurity prevails

Apr 8, 2008, 13:41 GMT

Geneva - Red Cross teams carried out 80 field missions in South, North and West Darfur from January to March 2008 despite the lack of security and restricted access, the organization said Tuesday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, said the increase in hostilities in northern West Darfur since December 2007 had made it more difficult to provide humanitarian assistance.

The organization and other agencies had managed to supply essential aid to the thousands of people who had fled the violence inside West Darfur and in the Birak region in neighbouring Chad.

In other details of its operations, ICRC said it had vaccinated more than 333,000 animals against disease to help ensure the livelihoods of 14,700 nomadic farming families in North Darfur and would continue in South Darfur.

Since the start of 2008, it had repaired and serviced 181 major water points serving about 260,000 people.

It was also distributing seed to 36,000 traditional farming households and 3,000 nomadic farmers affected by the conflict, ahead of the rainy season, in eastern and western Jabal Marra and parts of South Darfur.

Its medical teams were carrying out vaccination campaigns for women and children and providing first aid training for fighters and civilians.

The ICRC said an investigation was also underway into the death of a staff member at the organization's office in fighting in Seleia on February 8.