UNHCR to move refugees further away from Chad/Sudan border

GENEVA, 10 March (UNHCR) - A lack of water, proximity to the border and a deteriorating security situation are forcing UNHCR to relocate more than 16,000 Sudanese refugees in a refugee site in eastern Chad deeper inside the country. The first relocation of some 3,000 refugees is scheduled for later this month.

Am Nabak site, which is just 27 km from the Chad/Sudan border, was established by refugees themselves in 2004 when thousands of Sudanese fleeing the violence in Darfur crossed the border seeking safety. The site's proximity to the volatile border area has always been of concern.

"UNHCR generally recommends camps or sites are at a reasonable distance from international borders because we need to be able to ensure the security and protection of refugees," UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told journalists in Geneva at a regular briefing.

Pagonis said the daily running of the site was also being hampered by the situation. "The security on the roads leading to Am Nabak has markedly deteriorated recently with several recent hijackings of humanitarian aid vehicles, making it more difficult for UNHCR and its partners to deliver assistance to the refugees."

A major concern is the lack of water. Currently, drinking water has to be trucked into the site which is an expensive operation. "Providing the recommended amount of drinking water of 15 litres a day to each of the more than 204,000 refugees living in the 12 camps in eastern Chad remains one of the most significant challenges to UNHCR and our partners," said Pagonis

The first relocation of some 3,000 Sudanese refugees to Mile camp is scheduled for later this month, with the remaining 13,000 refugees expected to move later to a new site yet to be identified near Iriba which is 60 km from the Sudan/Chad border.

Am Nabak is a well-established site with mud huts, schools and a market. "We expect that some of the refugees may be reluctant to relocate, so we are running an awareness campaign in Am Nabak so the refugees have a clear understanding of the reasons behind the move," said Pagonis.

In a separate development on Thursday, UNHCR and the Chadian Government signed an agreement to increase the security presence in and around all 12 camps in eastern Chad with the aim of improving security for refugees, local populations, humanitarian personnel and humanitarian goods. The new arrangements include widening the security perimeter around the camps to 5 km. The security presence within refugee camps themselves will also be increased, with the number of gendarmes rising from 180 to 235.

Chadian police officers deployed under this agreement will undergo training on management of humanitarian crises, as well as international law and humanitarian assistance.