IOM is continuing with its emergency assistance to thousands of
internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled the violence in
the contested region of Abyei in Sudan.

Up to yesterday, 30th May, IOM had registered 30,642 IDPs, most
of them women, children and the elderly. Reports of a further
30,000 IDPs in need of registration are being followed up by IOM
through the deployment of mobile registration teams.

IOM has already put in place 44 tracking staff in Turalie,
Wunrok and Mayon Abun in Warrap State, south of Abyei, where the
majority of IDPs are concentrated and where IOM and humanitarian
partners are providing emergency relief.

Another two tracking teams are stationed in Northern Bahr el
Ghazal and Unity States to cover displacement there with IDPs found
sheltering in makeshift camps in Abienoum in Unity State. A small
number have fled to Aweil East and Wau, in Northern and Western
Bahr el Ghazal. The tracking system has resulted in the
identification of missing and separated children as well as
unaccompanied minors.

IOM staff on the ground say the IDPs are in urgent need of
shelter, food and sanitation facilities. Most of them have fled
Abyei without any belongings. Several cases of severe dehydration
and hunger are now being observed, particularly among children. The
onset of the rainy season has complicated the situation as many
roads have become impassable.

IOM is distributing non-food items (NFIs) to the displaced as
part of an emergency assistance programme, including supplementing
the plastic sheeting provided so that emergency shelters can be
constructed.

So far, 60 per cent of all registered displaced have already
received NFI assistance with the remaining group expected to
receive assistance within a week despite the heavy rains and fuel
shortages caused by the blockage of commercial transports between
North and South Sudan.

An IOM convoy of 13 trucks is leaving Juba today, 31st May, with
140 drums of fuel to support humanitarian organizations hit by fuel
shortages at Aweil, Wau and Wunrok.

For more information, please contact:

Gerard Waite

IOM Juba

Tel: + 249 922406615

E-mail: "mailto:gwaite@iom.int">gwaite@iom.int