strengthening the protective environment foR children

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UNAMID UNAMID peacekeepers provide medical relief to North Darfur communities BY SHARON LUKUNKA To ensure protection of civilians and to facilitate humanitarian assistance, UNAMID conducted a sevenday humanitarian exercise in August in North Darfur aimed at providing medical assistance to the local population. The operation dubbed “Operation Haboob Chase II” was an initiative of UNAMID Force Commander Lt. Gen Patrick Nyamvumba. It was planned and conducted by the Nepalese Special Forces with support from the Mongolian Level II Hospital and Rwandan protection forces and medical personnel. The teams delivered medical assistance to residents of Gurrav Farvaj village located about 40 kilometers northwest of Kabkabiya as well as Kuma, Dar al Salaam and Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur. More than 2,000 people including women and children received treatment for various illnesses including eye and 10 VOICES OF DARFUR
left. A Mongolian peacekeeper examines a young boy during the medical outreach programme (Haboob Chase II) right. One of the centres set up by UNAMID during the seven-day medical relief campaign in north Darfur PHOTOS OLIVIER CHASSOT ear infections, cardiovascular illnesses, hypertension, abdominal disorders, and dental and skin infections. The operation was part of several efforts by UNAMID to address the needs of local populations affected by conflict, intended as well to strengthen relations between UNAMID and the host communities. Khaltoum Djibril Ahmad Musa, a woman from Shangil Tobaya and her mother Halima Ahmad Adam were among those who came to the medical camp for help. Khaltoum complained of a skin infection while her mother had chest pains. Mohammad Abdulrahman, 45, said he was suffering from a backache and high blood pressure. “We are trying to help the community as much as we can,” said Lt Col. Togtmol Sukhbaatar, of the Mongolian Level II hospital. “The aim of the mission was to practice a joint exercise with different troops in Darfur, humanitarians and other UN agencies,” said Maj. Bishwonath Timilsina, a Nepalese operations officer. The mission illustrates the continuing enhancement of UNAMID’s capabilities targeting Darfuris, humanitarian agencies and UNAMID. The UNAMID Force Commander accompanied the teams to Gurrav Farjawi village and Dar al Salaam where he interacted with the local community, informing them that the Mission will launch similar programmes in other areas in the future. Operation Haboob Chase is the second exercise conducted by the Nepalese forces, after a nine-day long-range patrol undertaken last August over almost 1,100 kilometers in North and West Darfur in order to make possible critical and often elusive access for the local populations to various services. Addressing the troops in Shangil Tobaya, UNAMID Sector North Commander Brig. Gen. Sithabiso Mahlobo commended the troops for their actions: “This exercise is the beginning of realizing the importance of why we are here, ensuring the substance and importance of our engagement in promoting peace in Darfur,” he said. The protection of civilians is part of UNAMID’s core mandate, but the mission is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance and it continues to work with all relevant stakeholders in the region to promote peace. VOICES OF DARFUR 11
Page 1: UNAMID’s publication for the peop
Page 5 and 6: the people of Darfur. This simply m
Page 7 and 8: PEACE Internally displaced persons
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Page 13: Healing Darfuri Communities (Haboob
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strengthening the protective environment foR children

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