Nearly 2,000 people in Western Darfur have fled for their lives into neighbouring Chad this week, following renewed clashes in the region. The recent eruption of violence between the Masalit and Arab communities began on April 3
rd, when unknown assailants shot at a group of Masalit men, killing two and injuring a third. Armed elements from both groups mobilized in the wake of the attack, with the UN’s Human Rights Office reporting that the streets of West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, were “strewn with bodies” by April 12
th.
Several structures were destroyed or damaged, including a hospital and a UN compound, and at least one ambulance was attacked. The UN Refugee Agency reported that 1,860 people have sought refuge in Chad in the past week, primarily women, children, and the elderly living in villages near the Chadian border. Humanitarian agencies are still trying to determine the number of IDPs within West Darfur, but they are estimated to be in the thousands.