As tensions escalate in the Darfur region, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to provide aid to desperate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur, Sudan.
More than two million people have fled their homes to escape violence between alleged government-backed militia — known as Janjaweed — and rebel armies, seeking refuge in camps set up for those who have been displaced within their own country. Widespread rape, murder and looting, as well as attacks on civilians have escalated, threatening the lives of thousands. At least 180,000 people have been killed in the three-year conflict.
Tensions continue to increase in response to the peace treaty signed Friday, May 5, between the Sudanese government and the main rebel group. Two other rebel groups rejected the treaty. Many believe that the treaty did not do enough to protect IDPs.
Monday, President Bush urged Sudan to allow United Nations peacekeepers into Darfur, a request that has previously been denied. He has also promised to ship urgently-needed emergency food to starving families and urged the American people to further donate to humanitarian agencies working in the affected region.
"ADRA’s work in the Darfur region is challenging and at significant risk," Mario Ochoa, executive vice president, ADRA International, says. "But the agency exists to provide aid where it’s needed the most. Darfur’s IDPs, barely surviving in the face of violence, fear, and deprivation, urgently need our expanded assistance."
Working in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other major government donors, ADRA is providing development and emergency relief aid for displaced families in Darfur and throughout war-torn Sudan.
Projects include provision of emergency food aid, access to clean water, health care, and improved sanitation, as well as reaching community development goals through small enterprise development projects, agricultural initiatives, animal husbandry, women’s literacy programs, and initiatives to aid in the return of displaced persons to their homes.
To combat the effects of dehydration, ADRA has implemented a large water well drilling project of 21 new wells throughout western Darfur, rehabilitated 85 damaged wells, established Community Water Committees, and conducted hygiene education/awareness training for more than 6,500 people. ADRA has also recently completed a second well drilling project, providing 19 new wells, and repairing another 50.
ADRA built 1,250 latrines for IDPs in Kirinding Camp, located in western Darfur, along with an additional 2,250 in three refugee camp/towns south of Geneina, in Deleiji, Mukjar, and Um Dukum. ADRA will also commence operations in May to build 1,000 family pit latrines, and provide additional hygiene education for families.
More than US $340,000 worth of supplies for IDPs, including blankets, plastic sheeting, water containers, clothing, farm tools, and seeds have supported 15,000 people stranded in a camp in southwestern Darfur.
In addition, ADRA has provided clothing for 1,200 women who are victims of gender-based violence, offering support for these and other vulnerable women to provide access to services and reporting on incidents of violence occurring within the camps where ADRA is working.
ADRA has received project funding from several governmental donors, such as the Australian Government’s overseas aid program (AUSAID), the European Community’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), the European Union, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Norwegian Development Agency (Norad), USAID, the U.S. Department of State, and the German Foreign Ministry.
UNICEF, Bread for the World (Germany), Japan Platform, the International Council of Church Organizations (ICCO), and the Swedish Mission Council have also funded ADRA projects in Sudan. In addition, ADRA has been working in partnership with the International Office for Migration (IOM), UNICEF, and various other United Nations agencies.
"ADRA’s primary goal in Sudan is to improve living conditions of displaced and vulnerable people to acceptable levels for basic human needs," Ochoa continues. “The agency began work in Sudan in 1979 with a primary health care program based in Juba in Equatoria State, South Sudan. Since then, ADRA has broadened its scope to include food security, emergency relief, water resource development, and sanitation and community development.
"Right now, we’re appealing for donations to assist ADRA in continuing and expanding its critical work in the Darfur region. Hundreds of thousands of people are looking to agencies like ADRA for relief from the crisis that threatens their lives," Ochoa finished.
To assist in ADRA's response to the crisis in Darfur on-line donations are possible to ADRA Darfur/Sudan Fund at www.adra.org
ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity. Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org