While more than a decade of conflict has resulted in thousands killed, infrastructure decimated and widespread displacement, the people living in Darfur’s temporary camps remain dedicated to a durable solution, lasting peace and, ultimately, resettlement.

By Emadeldin Rijal

For more than 10 years, the people of Darfur have struggled to cope with the unpredictability of life in this conflict-torn region. While national and international efforts to bring a comprehensive, sustainable peace continue, the pace of progress is slow due to the situation’s complex nature; and in many communities here, the men, women and children of Darfur continue to struggle with the harsh realities of daily life. Lack of basic services in some areas and recurring acts of violence in others recall the disturbing memories of the early, acutely unstable days of the conflict.

“We hear news about imminent attacks all the time,” says Mr. Ahmed Abdurrahman, a 60-year-old living in a new camp for internally displaced people in the Labado area of East Darfur. Due to clashes between the Government of Sudan authorities and armed movements in 2013, some 29,000 people fled Labado and the nearby villages to inhabit what is now known as the Labado camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The inhabitants of this camp have been relying on the support of the UNAMID peacekeepers deployed in the area for their safety, security and even medical care.

Mr. Abdurrahman says this is not the first time he has experienced displacement. He recounts the early days of the conflict in Darfur and describes how he and his family sought refuge in one of the IDP camps in Nyala. Most of his family still resides there. As the violence in Labado gradually subsided, Mr. Abdurrahman returned to his village to take stock of his property and belongings. However, he says, just after he returned, further violence erupted in Labado and he was, once again, forced to leave the area.

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On 26 January 2010, some 3.000 people are displaced from 30 different towns in North and South Darfur, due to tribal clashes, and settle in a temporary camp in near Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur. Most of the arrivals are women and children, as many of the men stayed behind to defend their villages. Living conditions in the camp are harsh. There is little water and food and no medical facilities; the shelters are typically made from branches and plastic tarps. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID..