Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur is Worsening

The humanitarian situation in western Sudan has worsened significantly in the past few months. This serious deterioration is reflected in UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s monthly update on the situation in Darfur:

Around 50% percent of Darfur’s population (3 million people) is confronting disease without appropriate health services and is lacking food and water. Women and children need special protection from sexual violence while internally displaced people (about 2 million) are practically trapped in insecure refuges camps, where they must remain in order to escape attacks by the Janjaweed militia.

There are several reasons for the dire humanitarian situation in Darfur:

• A failing peace process: Armed conflict continues to escalate in Darfur. A political solution to the conflict does not seem feasible in the near future. Despite ongoing pressure from the African Union and the international community, the Sudanese government and the two major rebel groups have not managed to arrive at a diplomatic solution.

• Lack of funds for humanitarian programs: Current international donor contributions to address Darfur’s crisis are insufficient. According to Jan Egeland, (UN Emergency Relief Coordinator), the UN has only received one-fifth of the $1.7 billion required to run the existing lifesaving programs for Sudan this year. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) alone still needs $318 million to supply Darfur during the next 6 months, and has been forced to reduce certain food rations.

• Lack of security and governmental support for humanitarian work: UN humanitarian agencies are having trouble assisting victims of the conflict due to the severe lack of security for their 14,000 workers. Armed groups routinely target humanitarian convoys, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has been forced to reduce its activities in Sudan by 40 percent. The Sudanese government also routinely obstructs humanitarian work in the country, including regularly denying visas and revoking travel permits of humanitarian workers traveling to key areas. West Darfur authorities closed three offices of the local human rights group SUDO (Sudan Social Development Organization), and Sudanese authorities refused to extend the mandate of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), head of the main camp for displaced people in Darfur, forcing the organization to leave the region.

In order to stop the killings in Darfur it is essential to work simultaneously in the following three aspects:

• The international community must impose sanctions against those interfering in the current peace talks, intensifying the pressure on all parties to find a peaceful solution.

• The major shortfall in funding should be addressed immediately. World leaders should contribute adequate resources to Darfur as a sign of their commitment to end the crisis.

• As requested by the African Union in its Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement (EHCA), the Sudanese government and the rebel groups should demilitarize delivery routes used for transporting and distributing humanitarian supplies to victims and refugee camps.
   

+ DARFUR RESOURCE CENTER

Updated April 18, 2006