SUDAN:The narrow, dusty alleys of Abu Shouk were supposed to offer Fatima Adam Yaoub and her family a safe haven from Darfur's misery.
Then she found she could not leave the aid camp. Women collecting firewood or water found themselves harassed, raped or murdered.
Now not even the camp itself is safe.
"We live in fear because there is no security. In the evening - after eight - no one will be outside their house. It is too dangerous," said the 52-year-old mother of 10, sitting cross-legged on a reed mat.
Tribes loyal to the Khartoum government are being supplied with arms and ammunition in a cynical ploy to force the regime's opponents out, according to aid officials familiar with Abu Shouk.
The same pattern is being repeated throughout Darfur. Kalma and Gereida in south Darfur are virtual no-go areas for the international charities who try to keep lifelines open to more than two million people with no other support.
Last week, aid agencies were warned to scale back their operations in three camps around the north Darfur capital of El Fasher after a spate of carjackings and shootings. United Nations security officials warned that Abu Shouk, Zam Zam and Al Salaam had become tinderboxes.
Fatima Adam Yaoub, who fled her home almost four years ago, has no choice but to stay.
She knows two women who were raped during the visit of Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, earlier this month.
Aid officials say the number of guns has increased since his high-profile trip to see the the camps around El Fasher.
It has long been known that rebel groups were using camps to hide weapons caches. With guns now being provided to government supporters, the result is increasing insecurity.
Gunshots provide a night-time soundtrack in Abu Shouk, home to 47,000 people.
An aid vehicle was hijacked on its way into the camp by gunmen who pulled AK-47s from a haycart. Earlier this month two men from the Fur tribe - who predominantly support the rebel Sudan Liberation Army - were shot by unknown gunmen inside the camp. Incidents of homes being torched are on the increase.
"The government is providing guns to two tribes here and causing many problems," added Fatima. "The government says its a tribal problem but they are the ones causing it."
Arms are flowing into the camp and into the hands of the Gimir and Kinnen tribes, according to UN sources.
Both are fiercely pro-government, describe themselves as Arab and many Gimir in particular have fought among government forces as they tried to put down a rebel uprising in Darfur.
The arms are arriving at a time when President Omar el Bashir is promising a ceasefire ahead of peace talks in Tripoli next month.
At the same time, local radio stations have been broadcasting lists of names asking them to leave the sprawling humanitarian camps.
Salah Bakhour, a Fur umda or tribal leader in Abu Shouk, said his people were under constant pressure to leave the camp.
"They tell us that they want us to leave by October and they are giving guns to the other tribes. Shootings are happening every day and every night," he said. "I cannot protect my people any more."
These claims are confirmed by aid officials working in the region, though few will speak publicly as agencies face expulsion if they are accused by the government of helping journalists or acting politically.
Security throughout Darfur has deteriorated in recent weeks.
Oxfam has warned it will be forced to pull out altogether if risks increase much more. Last week two workers with World Vision were shot, forcing the charity to scale back operations.
Meanwhile Kosti Manibe, minister of humanitarian affairs in the Khartoum government, said he was aware that many camps were riddled with guns and promised to look into reports that certain tribes were being armed in order to create instability.
"People come to the camps because they felt unsafe so it is vital that they can remain there," he said.