Africare Responds to Darfur Crisis by Aiding Refugees Fleeing to Chad

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 2004 — World attention has been turned toward the Darfur region of Sudan, where displacement of local people by militia forces has resulted in a large-scale humanitarian crisis. While this emergency is centered on the Darfur region of western Sudan, the bordering country of Chad has been forced to deal with the consequences of the Sudanese conflict, as hundreds of thousands of refugees stream across the border, seeking assistance and sanctuary inside Chad.

This massive influx of refugees has put the local Chadian population, already living in fragile conditions, at risk. While the people of Chad are sympathetic and try to help the best they can, soon their own resources are also exhausted. With no end in sight to the Sudanese crisis, the people of eastern Chad, along with the Sudanese refugees, are in need of assistance from the international community to assure that adequate food, water, and shelter are available. There is an urgent requirement to alleviate the mounting pressures on the infrastructure and resources of this habitually desolate area of Chad.

Prior to the outbreak of the Sudanese crisis, Africare/Chad was already in place, actively bringing food security to the dry and impoverished area of eastern Chad.

Africare has longstanding experience with the local communities and authorities of the eastern region of Chad. Since the early 1980s, when Africare started its work in the area following various natural disasters and political conflicts, it has gained momentum and established a good reputation in providing emergency as well as development-oriented assistance. Today, Africare/Chad is implementing the Ouaddaii Food Security Initiative in the Adre/Abeche corridor of eastern Chad to improve food security and nutrition. Activities include water development (wells, dikes, dam construction), work with women and farmer groups to market harvests, support of income-generating activities, and seed distribution.

Africare is also proceeding with the Care and Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad project (with support from the UNHCR and in coordination with local authorities and other humanitarian agencies), and is providing assistance to Sudanese refugees in the following areas: sanitation, shelter, community services, education, agriculture, and micro-credit.

Donations to Africare's Disaster Relief Fund will provide much-needed assistance to the people of Chad, Sudanese refugees, and Africans in need all over the continent. Click here to make your gift today.

Back to News Index