My name is Rose Kimeu. I am a Disaster Response Specialist for World Vision’s emergency programs in Africa and Latin America, based in Washington, D.C. On November 3, 2006, I flew to Sudan to begin a one-week fact-finding tour.

I arrived in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, and stayed there for a day in order to get a travel permit to continue on to Darfur. While in Khartoum, I visited the World Vision Northern Sudan office.

November 4-6

I arrived in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, and stayed there for a day in order to get a travel permit to continue on to Darfur. While in Khartoum, I visited the World Vision Northern Sudan office.

On November 6, I took a 2.5-hour flight to Nyala, Darfur. The airport was full of people and confusion, women in bright colored clothes and men in white jalbias, the announcements were all in Arabic, but somehow we made it onto the right plane!

On arrival, in Nyala, I made my way out of the airport into the parking lot, the parking lot was full of cars mainly NGO trucks, there was also throngs of people gathered and seemingly waiting for someone. As we drove to the World Vision office, I learned that the groups of people at the airport were waiting for the arrival of the JEM leader Minni Minawi. As we drove in the streets of Nyala we drove past groups of armed soldiers in blue uniform. Over the vehicle radio, an announcement came through, “Due to a security incident in Otash and Kalma IDP camps, we are advising aid workers to cancel any plans that they have to visit these camps today, we will continue to monitor the situation and will keep you updated”. Unfortunately, Otash was on my list of camps to be visited but given the security advisory, I would have to revise my plans.

November 7

I visited two camps for displaced people – Otash and Dereig. This picture was taken in Otash, a huge camp that is home to about 40,000 and has been flooded with new arrivals. In September alone, about 14,000 newly displaced people sought refuge here.