Oxfam's Jane Beesley has been meeting people affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur
Day 1
The drive to Abu Shouk camp takes under 15 minutes from Oxfam’s office in El Fasher. Before leaving town glimpses of the camp, home to over 56,000 people, can be seen through gaps between buildings.
What hits you first as you enter the camp is a feeling of permanency. It feels like a town. People have built walls around their shelters, and many plastic shelters have been remade with bricks. Erected in rows, at the end of each row is a street name…N15…N9…W2. This feeling that it’s going to be a long stay is confirmed again and again …‘We have no ray of hope of returning home.’ Abu Shouk camp opened 3 years ago this month…it’s an unhappy anniversary.
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Abu Shouk camp, with spiralling line of jerry cans at water point (in foreground). Photo: Jane Beesley/Oxfam |
Before entering the camp we see large, brown pyramid-like structures…as we pass closer we see these are for baking bricks. As people settle in for the long haul, brick-making has become increasingly common-place and one of the few livelihoods available to the people at the camp. It’s estimated that 30% of households in Abu Shouk are involved in brick-making and it takes around one litre of water to make one brick.
This enormous extra demand for water is placing huge strain on scarce natural resources, and depleting the amount available for drinking and domestic use. The Oxfam team in Abu Shouk is working to try to promote brick-making projects that use less precious water and are more environmentally sustainable. The management of water has become an enormous challenge - a natural resource quickly diminishing.
Abu Shouk means small spiky animal…. but the basic needs of an increasing displaced population, the desperate need to earn a living and the impact on natural resources are anything but small.| Day 2 > |
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