``moatinoon`` Investigate Authorities Violations in El-Gadarif Against Displaced Persons and the Emergency Room
moatinoon - El-Gadarif State
"moatinoon" have uncovered a series of violations committed by the authorities of El-Gadarif state, represented by the security, municipal, and local committees, against the displaced persons since they arrived in the city. "moatinoon" also witnessed the reality of the recent days, with the police resorting to violence and force, forcing some displaced individuals to return to Khartoum and live under the hardships of war. The municipality also applied pressure on the emergency room, leading to its dissolution, and hindered voluntary and humanitarian organizations.
Against the backdrop of the governors decision to evacuate schools and the use of force by the police, one of the displaced women, residing in Dar El-Rasheed, stated: Despite their agreement to evacuate schools after receiving a promise from the municipality to prepare other shelters for them, the centers they were supposed to be relocated to face numerous problems, starting with health facilities. Therefore, the displaced individuals refused to comply with the decision, and the police used violence against them by firing tear gas, causing some to suffer from suffocation.
Inside Dar El-Rasheed, there are women and people with special needs, hosted by the local emergency room in a house before the municipal executive director issued a decision to dissolve it. Women and children reside in the old secondary school, while young people are in Dar Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz. The total number of displaced individuals in the old Gadarif school is approximately 770. Their numbers were initially over a thousand, but some left due to mistreatment and the suspension of support from entities such as voluntary organizations and philanthropists by the municipality. Some were relocated to Osman Digna Secondary School and Samia bint Al-Khayyat Basic School.
One of the displaced individuals told "moatinoon": Three months ago, we approached the municipality and protested in front of the governors residence about the poor conditions in the shelter centers. However, due to the protest, the municipality ordered our deportation from the state. When we refused, the municipality suspended humanitarian aid to us for days, reaching the point of preventing benefactors from supporting us. The receptionist in the shelter prevented them from entering. The "Municipal Emergency Committee" also opposed receiving the displaced, claiming that some shelter centers are located near the municipality and, therefore, would be a source of disturbance for the governor. It also ordered our deportation.
Our informant said: The municipal executive director still evades responsibility to the extent that he does not allow us to meet him in his office.
Officials from voluntary and humanitarian organizations criticize the authorities for not cooperating with them. One of them informed "moatinoon": Even the permit for monitoring and specifying the type of aid needed by the displaced takes at least two weeks, which he described as procrastination.
He added that the municipality does not allow voluntary organizations to support shelter centers except those registered with it. The rest of the centers are not allowed support, despite their disastrous conditions. Health services are scarce in the state, and most centers suffer from the spread of malnutrition cases, with no access to food or healthcare.
On the other hand, a member of the Emergency Room in El-Gadarif said, preferring not to disclose his name: We used to work with neighborhood initiatives, providing health and psychological support. On the health side, we received patients in the clinic, offering them comprehensive health services, including doctor consultations, examinations, and medications. Support comes from international organizations and philanthropists. He continued: In the case of surgeries, we coordinate with the hospital to receive patients after they are referred with a letter from the emergency room. We provide a financial report regularly and transparently to the state. Despite that, we faced harassment due to the humanitarian assistance we provide. He added: The local community asked us to evacuate the house where we hosted some displaced people with special needs, kidney patients, and cancer patients, providing them with special healthcare.
"When we refused to stop our distribution of aid to shelter centers, and Municipal Executive Director Sadiq Khalid decided to dissolve the Emergency Room, voluntary organizations were notified by the security and intelligence agency not to deal with Emergency Room members. This is in addition to the security committee in the state using its media to tarnish our reputation and ethics.
The member of the Emergency Room continued: At a time when the municipal executive director pressured the displaced to leave the schools, depriving them of support, and telling them, Whoever wants his share of support should get on this cart. All those who responded to his request were surprised by being deported to overcrowded shelter centers, despite their health conditions that do not allow residence there. We tried after dissolving the Emergency Room to reach solutions and alternatives with the municipality, but it used force and converted our headquarters from Dar El-Shabab to Deim Bakr Secondary School. After two days, a decision was issued by the municipal education administration to evacuate the school within 24 hours.
