Citizens returning to Um Dukhun, Central Darfur

According to humanitarian organisations in Um Dukhun, Central Darfur, more than 5,000 people have returned to various locations around Um Dukhun town. The returnees are mainly people who fled Um Dukhun following the inter-tribal clashes between the Misseriya and the Salamat in 2013, according to the latest weekly bulletin of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan. The 5,000 returns are in addition to the 1,600 refugee returns from Chad, reported by the Sudanese Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) on 25 December. According to HAC, people returned primarily due to the improvement in the security situation in Um Dukhun locality. The humanitarian organisations working in Darfur and HAC are planning to verify these figures, and will assess the needs of the returnees in the coming days. According to UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, 734 families (3,670 people) were reported to have returned to Um Duhkun from surrounding villages and some villages across the border by 22 December. Many of these people were in a refugee-like situation in the border areas, and are now in Um Dukun town, and El Batari camp, which has been identified as a return camp. There are reports from HAC, Triangle Génération Humanitaire, and the Trust Building Development Organization that there are further returns to the area in 2014 thus far. The exact make-up and areas they have returned from have not yet been verified. Aid agencies are expected to meet with HAC next week to determine a second mission to the area to assess the new 2014 caseload size, profiles and needs. File photo Related: Salamat refugees returning to Um Dukhun in Central Darfur (2 December 2013)Dozens slain in renewed Misseriya-Salamat clashes in Central Darfur (14 November 2013)