CRS in Chad Assisting Sudanese Fleeing Worsening Darfur ConflictCatholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services is responding to the urgent needs of Sudanese refugees in Chad who have fled escalating conflict in western Sudan's Darfur region. It is estimated that more than 120,000 Sudanese have crossed the porous border for refuge in desolate eastern Chad since last April, tens of thousands of them in the past two months, as increased fighting along the border has triggered a fresh refugee exodus. The refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, have spread widely in pockets in Chad across nearly 400 miles of remote, inhospitable, barren desert terrain, largely without suitable access to shelter or water.  "Once people are moved at least 30 miles away from the border and the continued insecurity there, their primary needs will be water, food, shelter and sanitation services," said Kevin Hartigan, Catholic Relief Services Regional Director for Central Africa, who is assessing the situation throughout the border region. "One of the many factors complicating relief efforts, in addition to the isolation of this area and poor roads which make for days-long drives between major towns, is so many of the displaced have brought their livestock, and so we also need to locate substantial water sources for the animals. But there is little water anywhere around here." CRS, working with its local partner, Secours Catholique et Développement (SECADEV), the relief arm of the Catholic Archdiocese of N'Djamena – the Chadian capital – and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is providing equipment as well as staffing and technical assistance to manage refugee camps in Farchana and Kounoungo, and to head a transit center at Touloum for receiving refugees transferred from the volatile border region. CRS is planning to eventually increase its staff presence to provide for the long-term needs of refugees. For years, Darfur has been the scene of tribal and ethnic clashes. Conflict escalated last February in Darfur when various tribes formed a rebel movement against the Khartoum government, and was further intensified in November when a second rebel group took up arms. In addition to the refugees in Chad, an estimated 3,000 people have been killed and more than 670,000 displaced within Sudan by the recent conflict in Darfur. CRS has long advocated for a peaceful resolution to Sudan's chronic civil wars and is calling for a ceasefire and negotiations involving all parties to the conflict in Darfur. The agency is also stressing the need for full humanitarian access to provide relief to refugees, particularly along the insecure border area. Hartigan noted that SECADEV, a member of the international Caritas federation, has Muslim and Protestant staff and board members. "They are a model in terms of Christian-Muslims relations, having worked, as a Catholic agency in a Muslim nation, effectively and respectfully with the local community for decades," he said. While possessing abundant natural resources, Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, with limited arable lands, periodic droughts and a history marred by war and political instability. Inadequate health, education and transportation infrastructure exacerbate the difficult living situation in Chad, where the recent refugee influx could place a crippling strain on local resources. CRS has worked in Chad for many years and in late 2002 opened an office in N'Djamena. CRS has supported relief and development programs in Sudan since the end of the first major civil war in 1972 when the agency helped to resettle internally displaced Sudanese. The two-decade-long conflict in Sudan has impaired social and economic development, destroyed practically all of the infrastructure and telecommunication networks and left the roads in such a state of disrepair that they are virtually impassable. Catholic Relief Services is marking its 60th year as the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. The agency provides assistance to people in 94 countries and territories on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality. To contribute to Catholic Relief Services efforts, send donations to: Catholic Relief Services
For more information, or to contact Catholic Relief Services, see their website at: www.catholicrelief.org |
 |
Email Article To A Friend |  |
Link to us! |
