Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief, 25 February 2009
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, February 25, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — UNAMID Daily Media Brief, 25 February 2009
UNAMID welcomes additional Senegalese peacekeepers
An additional 150 Senegalese peacekeepers arrived today in El Fasher, North Darfur, to bring the total number of members in the Senegalese infantry battalion to 834.
The principal duties of the battalion, which is based in El Geneina, West Darfur, include conducting patrols to enhance security and encourage confidence within the local population, and conducting escorts for humanitarian convoys.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 (2007) authorized the deployment of up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison officers, and up to 3,772 police personnel and 19 formed police units comprising of up to 140 personnel each. To date, the total number of military forces deployed in Darfur totals 12,753.
The Senegalese battalion was part of the original troops that transferred from AMIS to UNAMID on 31 December 2007.
Concerns over provision of water at Zam Zam IDP camp
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) yesterday indicated that the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have arrived in recent weeks in Zam Zam IDP camp (North Darfur) has exceeded 15,000, with IDPs continuing to arrive each day following fighting in several South Darfur towns. Due to the large influx, the provision of water to camp residents is of critical concern.
SOURCE : United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
