27 March 2011 - An inter-agency team led by OCHA, UNAMID and the North Darfur Humanitarian Aid Commission today visited five villages near Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur and has found the majority of homes deserted.

A looted matmorra, a hole used to keep grains during the dry season, in Tangarara, an abandoned village.

Photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran - UNAMID

The mission visited the villages of Hashaba, Tangarara, Fulla, Runyu and Arosha, which lie in a radius of approximately 15 to 30 km from Shangil Tobaya. Three villages were found to be nearly empty and two were entirely abandoned. The residents were among the 70,000 displaced by fighting between Government forces and rebel movements earlier this month. They have left for Zamzam and Shangil Tobaya Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. Most of the villagers who remained had stayed to tend to their farmland.

Future visits are planned to respond to the needs of the population and to encourage returns.

Children play with the remnants of a bomb in Arosha. Photo by Albert González Farran - UNAMID