[07/October/2009]

From Alsyasiah Newspaper

By: Aqeel al- Halali

Translated by: Mahmoud Assamiee

SANA'A, Oct. 07 (Saba)-Intensified battles in Harf Sufian district have led to more increasing numbers of displaced people into al-Usha area near Harf Sufian district.

Harf Sufian district is the greatest one in Amran governorate and the important stronghold of Houthis after Sa'ada. Harf Sufian is the only outlet that links Sa'ada and Jawf from Amran.

Others preferred heading for Amran district, the governorate's capital, Alsyasiah was surprised to find no any displaced one and those said to be "displaced people" in Amran city are only beneficiaries from helps of the governorate or humanitarian organizations.

Locals affirmed that the real displaced are those who are in Khaiwan in nearby Houth area.

Alsyasiah team, composed of three, headed to Khaiwan area which contains camps of displaced to examine the reality. But in Khamer district you can see people there carrying arms and new checkpoints have been set up along the road.

Over news on danger if the team continues this way and for keeping their safety, the team was directed to stop going to the area and change direction to Haradh area, Hajah governorate.

Displaced people on borders areas

In the early morning of the second day, the team headed to Haradh district, borders area between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The Sana'a-Mahweet-Qanawes road is 412 kilometer long. What is attracting attention is the new checkpoints installed along the road which reflect the state of security readiness because of battles being fought.

The area has displaced camp cost the government YR 230 million according to Minister of Public Health and Population Abdul-Karim Rase'a.

Before reaching this camp which is called al-Mirzaq, we found dozens of displaced people who set camps along the road sides leading to the government supported camp.

According to these people, they have been forced to live here after al-Mirzaq camp was filled with people and did not find a place to set their tents there. Most of these tents are made of white texture do not provide secured shelter to them.

Al- Mirzaq camp contains hundreds of white tents, set up in organized manner pitched by the management led by Dr. Amin Mathkour.
Despite government and international roles behind organizing this camp, a visitor can feel the suffering of the people, especially children and women who are the victim of this war which forces dozens of families leave their homes everyday.

Governmental and international services

The camp was receiving nearly 20 families daily before the advent of Eid al-Fitr, say officer of recruiting and receiving displaced in the camp Mohammad Mathkour then seven families on the first day of Eid and day after. But during the past days the number raised to 40 families.

However, Mathkour says there is no real statistics to the number of individuals in the camp which houses nearly 5000 persons. These people come form Adhaher and Haidan district in Sa'ada. He shoulders the local council in Haradh district the responsibility to count the people in the camp.

Over those who set up their tents out of the camp, he said these people have cattle and they do not want to join people in the camp. Furthermore, he indicated that the camp has become crowded but there is a plan to expand the camp to include other 200 tents.

On the mechanism of receiving daily new comers, Mathkour says "We registered names of the displaced people during their arrival and then we provided them with tents, a tent for every eight person and if the person has two wives, he is given two tents."

After that, he says, every tent is given foodstuff contains wheat, flour, sugar, rice, sauce and foul in addition to daily meal from the central kitchen of the displaced people.

You can see international support in this camp and that the banner of the United Nation Commission for Refugees is stamped on every tent and of the Unicef on water tanks.

Over aid from local organizations, Mathkour says "there is no aid from any organization except from Charitable Society for Social Welfare which provided health services." A delegation from Siyag Organization for Protecting Childhood paid a visit to inspect the situation of children.

According to him, the camp includes health cadre from the ministry of public health and provides free services to displaced daily on two shifts, morning and afternoon.

Complains and justifications

Away of the sights of the camp's administrators to check the government and international agencies' commitments on providing human services to displaced people, the team found those who did not get these services.

Ali Ahmad, who come from Quthah village in Haidan with six other families, complains that he does not have a tent sheltering his families from the hot day and the cold night.

"Every day, the management of the camp promises to provide me a tent but nothing new," he said.

However, another displaced from Haidan Abdullah Hussein sees that the biggest problem they suffer from is water shortage and lack of bathrooms "this made us to come out at night to respond to nature call."

"We want what Allah bestows. Give us what Allah bestows," said Thaifa Mohammad, an old woman. She said they have got only light nutrition since Ramadan.

Despite her difficult conditions in the camp, this old women, who lost her son in the first war by a coward shot while he was pasturing goats, affirmed she will not return to her village only after the army cleanse the country from the rebels.

Eidha Arashi , who came from the Malahith area, complained from the bad tents and accused the camp management of not doing well.

"All the tents are bad; the rain spoiled our food and wetted our furniture and the camp's management sit, eating, drinking and chewing qat," he said.

Qasem Adhaibi, who came from Malahith area before Ramadan, complained from shortage of water, food and furniture.
"Our Problems are water and nutrition. The nutrition they provided to us a month and half ago had finished and there is no new one besides, we do not have anything to buy necessary rations," he said.

Other displaced complained from electricity despite there are two generators. Electric current does not reach some tents which are not affiliated with the camp management that justified its negligence in providing services to the displaced.


Over this issue, Mathkour says "We have discussed with the local council the nutrition issue and a new batch of nutrition would be provided soon." Concerning baths, he says, we demanded Unicef to adopt instant solution and promised to install baths with covers after its provided to divide the camp into equal squares."

Over water problem, he says, the local council was supplying the camp with water before the organization commit itself to provide drinking water via local company which to supply the 35 tanks with water.

He affirmed that during this month, 40 camps will be distributed to the camp.

In regard to electric current, Mathkour clarified that the camp has two generators but the network is not set yet and that this matter is related to the UNHCR. He said that despite efforts exerted by governorate leadership in supporting the camp, displaced people still need great attention and providing them with furniture and gas.

While government sources said the number of displaced people has reached 60 thousands, 29 thousand of them are from Amran. The UNHCR put the number as 100 thousands, all of them need greater government and international care to ease their suffering from the war.