IOM has started providing water and hygiene kits to 700 displaced people in Abyei who fled ongoing military clashes between Sudan and South Sudan. The displaced families, mostly women and children, abandoned their houses on 21 April 2012 in the village of Abiemnom in South Sudan's Unity State when the fighting broke out and trekked some 20 km to the village of Rumamier, in Abyei. The distribution of aid including jerry cans, buckets and water purification tablets, started on Monday, 23 April 2012. IOM is also disseminating hygiene messages among the displaced written on T-shirts and posters. With the onset of the rainy season, the aim is to prevent water borne diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery. IOM is also setting up emergency latrines to prevent the contamination of the Bahr el Arab/Kiir River, which is adjacent to the site where displaced families are located. IOM is also providing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to Misseria and Ngok Dinka communities in Abyei, following an earlier humanitarian needs assessment. The relief operations are being supported by the multi-donor Common Humanitarian Fund and the Government of Japan. For more information please contact: Johannes Braun IOM Khartoum Tel: +249 (0)922 406 676 E-mail: "mailto:jbraun@iom.int">jbraun@iom.int