26 February 2008 – UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Mr. Rodolphe Adada, today visited the town of Silea in Western Darfur to personally assess the situation on the ground following recent attacks in the area. He met with the affected community and explored ways to speed assistance to the region.

Silea, 72 kilometers north of El Jeneina, was one of the areas seriously impacted by the recent violence and witnessed displacement of people and destruction of houses and other property.

Speaking to over 200 residents, Mr. Adada expressed his concern at the current situation and said that the UN family will make every effort to meet the people’s immediate needs. “You have been caught in the middle of a war and it is our duty to take care of you,” he said.

“We hope to establish a safe place from where the humanitarian community can operate and provide the assistance needed.”

Mr. Adada was accompanied by UNAMID’s Deputy Force Commander General Karenzi and other senior UN officials. During the visit, representatives from UN agencies, including WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, and WHO briefed Mr. Adada on the humanitarian situation and needs. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Ameerah Haq, is scheduled to travel to Western Darfur later this week.

The AU/UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was established by Security Council Resolution 1769 on 31 July 2007 and started its operations on 1 January 2008.