What is life like in the camps?

Life in the camp is very difficult, especially compared to how people lived before. A family of about six share one shelter that is 3 x 4 metres. Some people had been sleeping on the ground for about a year before IR distributed mats.

What is the security situation like?

The number of security incidents within the camps has increased recently, with people being attacked and donkeys being stolen. Men, women and children are being terrorised daily by militia. Shots are often fired into the air to frighten people as the militia ride by on horses or camels.

Parents fear for their children and do not let them leave the camp. Many people have had family members killed when the militia attacked their villages.

Women particularly cannot sleep at night because they know the militia are nearby. Those who have been attacked whilst collecting grass and fire wood are too ashamed to speak about it.

Are people able to earn a living?

Most people in Kerinding II have no way of making a living and rely solely on aid agencies and the UN. When IR distributed clothes we found that some people were selling them to buy food and other essential items.

Some people collect grass and wood from outside the camp and sell it in the market, but leaving the camp is dangerous. The women who venture out will carry sacks of grass to the market, 5 km away in El Geneina. One sack will earn them 100 Sudanese dinars (0.40 Euro) but if it doesn’t sell they carry it back to the camp and try again the following day.

Recently Islamic Relief has been working to get people together like the newly formed Women’s Affairs Committee. These committees encourage people to explore ways they can earn a living and support each other.

How are children coping?

It seems to me that children in the camp have lost one phase in their life – childhood.

Earlier I was talking with 20 children and I noticed how they don’t have any desire for toys and playgrounds. They make trucks from old oil cans and play with them in the sand. When I asked what they would like to have, their answers were not childlike. A few said they would like to have a bike, a football or a toy but mostly they asked for beds, mosquito nets, blankets, teacups, carpets, clothes, shoes and school bags.

Are children able to go to school?

Islamic Relief runs the Masakhane school that has over 1,500 pupils, mainly from Kerinding II camp. There are 29 teachers but they have low salaries so parents often contribute to ensure the teachers have breakfast.

The school itself does not have benches or chairs and needs more books and teaching materials. Despite this children enjoy school and many of them want to be teachers and headmasters when they grow up.

Islamic Relief is also working to raise awareness amongst parents about the importance of education. Many children do not attend school because they are trying to earn money and girls in particular drop out by the age of 14 or 16 to get married. IR is working to get these children back into school.

Do camp residents have access to health care?

Islamic Relief runs a health clinic that provides essential health care, medicine, antenatal care and health awareness training.

Between 100 -140 patients visit the clinic every day and the 13 members of staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

At the moment we are also cleaning up the camp to ensure better hygiene. We also regularly distribute soap and other hygiene items to camp residents.

How do people feel about returning home?

People cannot go back because of the insecurity. Of course they would like to go back eventually but they don’t know when this will be possible. They are patient people, prepared to wait for the security situation to improve.

The reality is that rural Darfur is very unsafe and many villages have been claimed by the militia who are now using their land.

What problems have you faced working in Darfur?

The biggest problem in Darfur is that there is no freedom of movement because bandits control the roads. Humanitarian convoys have been unable to deliver aid in areas of great need. Some people are dying of hunger and sickness because sufficient aid cannot reach them.

We also have a problem with unregistered people living in Kerinding II. There are currently over 8,500 registered people in the camp and another 1,200 or so who are not – plus almost 600 who live just outside.

These people come to Kerinding II for many reasons, including the fact that nearby camps are very overcrowded, or because they have family here. However as they are not registered they don’t have the ration cards they need to get food and other aid items. Other people end up sharing their food with them, especially if they are women or elderly.

What have you found rewarding?

As a European, I am referred to by the local people as ‘havaji’ (white man), which is quite endearing. Many people here have never seen a white man, not even on television because they have never had electricity.

Young children in particular are amazed as they think that I have been coloured white and after they shake my hand they look at their own to see if the white colour has rubbed off!

I have a good relationship with people here, which I really cherish.

I have learned several Masali words, which is the language most people speak, and I can now greet people when I see them. Learning the language is a great way of building trust and it also helps me involve people at every level of our work, from sharing information and planning to making decisions.