DanChurchAid
Sudan
Life is getting more desperate
By Rocco Blume, ACT-Caritas
As diplomats have pressed for peace in talks in Abuja, Nigeria, the situation on the ground in Darfur seems a world away.
Humanitarian aid organizations working in the ongoing conflict are persevering with their work, knowing that change will be slow to come and that thousands of displaced people still need their assistance.
A breakthrough in the peace talks came on May 5 when the Sudanese government and one group within the rebel Sudan Liberation Army signed a peace settlement. The negotiations have continued as pressure has increased on the other rebel groups to endorse the deal, which would create a more comprehensive solution to the conflict and signal hope for the desperate humanitarian situation in Darfur.
A complex situation that seems to be getting worse
Humanitarian efforts have seen significant setbacks in recent months due to internal and external factors, with food rations being cut against a backdrop of ongoing insecurity and continued displacements. Flare-ups of violence, like the May 8 demonstration at a camp for displaced people in South Darfur that got out of control and resulted in one death, add to an already worrisome situation.
But it is the weather that has now moved to the fore. "Our main concern is that we have a very small window of opportunity - only a few weeks - before the long rains come, and we certainly don't want to have movements of people at that time," said Anne Masterson, director of the joint humanitarian operation by Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and Caritas, known as DERO (Darfur Emergency Response Operation).
These various factors contribute to a complex situation that seems to be getting worse rather than improving.
The overriding concern is security in the camps
The Hassa Hissa displaced camp on the edge of Zalingei town in West Darfur has been in existence and growing for the last three years. Most recently an influx of people displaced from fighting in the Jebel Mara Mountains to the north arrived and, as latecomers, were forced to settle on the edges of the camp, vulnerable to roaming bandits and militia.
Interviews with camp residents quickly establish that their overriding concern is security. The systematic sexual violence targeted at displaced women living in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), a hallmark of this conflict, continues despite global media coverage. Women are vulnerable each time they walk to fetch firewood from the surrounding countryside. It is widely accepted that if the men of the camps were to venture beyond its borders they would face death at the hands of the Janjaweed.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced recently that it was reducing the rations to nearly all recipients in Darfur. As of this month, the rations given to displaced communities have been reduced by half, and the rations given to host communities have been stopped altogether.
For the displaced communities with no other means of income or food acquisition, this means an even less certain future. The present rations that provide approximately 2,000 kilocalories a day will now be reduced to 1,000 kilocalories. While the consolidated efforts of all UN agencies and NGOs were able to maintain levels of malnutrition below emergency levels in 2005 and early 2006, this may not be sustained during the upcoming malarial and diarrhoeal wet season.
Although rations for selective feeding programs (for children and the vulnerable) will not be reduced, the general reduction will have an impact on selective feeding. Supplementary rations meant for malnourished children will undoubtedly be shared by all members of the family, thereby preventing the recovery of malnourished children.
Many factors have contributed to funding shortfalls in relation to the world's response to the Darfur crisis donor fatigue, optimistic planning and the assumption of a successful conclusion to the Abuja peace negotiations all caused donors to dramatically under plan. And although some funds have been committed, with the wet season fast approaching, it may be too late for essential supplies to get to vulnerable communities before they become unreachable.
Despite the global protests to "save Darfur" and expressions of support from world leaders, the displaced of Darfur are slipping into ever greater desperation. The sheiks (tribal leaders) in the camps say they are already supporting other displaced families that do not have WFP ration cards. Any further cuts will stretch the rations to unbearable limits.
With no means of farming and prevented from leaving the camp by the Janjaweed, the alternative coping strategies come with risks attached. One of the few options is for women to increase the foraging for firewood, leaving them at greater risk of abuse. Attendance at schools and social programs may dip as children and adults are forced to increase family income, and selling of the families' few remaining productive assets will create further insecurity.
The disparity between rations for the displaced and host communities may also cause resentment that the generosity is not being rewarded.
Perhaps as a sign of the effectiveness of NGO capacity building on human rights, the sheiks complain that the WFP ration cuts violate their right to life. According to one sheik, were it not for the dangers of venturing out of the camp there would be no need for this aid: "If there is peace then everyone will provide for himself. We want the problem Darfur solved quickly so we can go home."
DanChurchAid is a member of ACT International - a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies.
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations present in 200 countries and territories.
Rocco Blume works in advocacy for Darfur with Christian Aid , a U.K.-based member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.
