Continued deterioration of the security situation throughout Darfur threatens to plunge the region into an even greater humanitarian catastrophe, CARE aid workers in Sudan are warning. The escalating tension spilled over at a Kalma camp in South Darfur this week where 34 aid workers from three separate agencies were kidnapped and released by disgruntled residents in protest over the arrest of a leader within the camp.
Renewed violence in and around the camps has made it progressively more difficult to deliver critical humanitarian relief to the people of Darfur, leaving many areas without assistance. "The international community must respond now to help stabilize the situation, and offer all support possible to the African Union (AU) peace-keeping forces on the ground. Their numbers must be increased and their mandate made more robust to allow for more active protection of civilians," said Leo Roozendaal, CARE country director in Sudan.
CARE currently has more than 300 staff working in Darfur, distributing emergency food assistance to about 400,000 people each month, as well as providing water and sanitation for approximately 200,000 in camps within the region. CARE also runs therapeutic feeding centers and offers livelihoods support for displaced persons, including jobs skill training.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died and around two million have been driven from their homes and villages during the past two and half years of civil conflict. They are struggling to survive in camps in Darfur, Sudan and neighboring Chad. Their conditions remain grim with slim prospects of returning to their homes over the coming months. Once security is established, hundreds of thousands of people will need long-term support to rebuild their lives from scratch.
"The international community cannot forget the people of Darfur," Roozendaal said.
