Oxfam International - Sudan/Darfur crisis

: Due to ongoing violence, more than two million people, or nearly one in three in Darfur, have had to flee from their homes, and have taken refuge in camps for internally displace people. Credit: Ryan Spencer Reed/ Oxfam

Nearly five years since the conflict began, the people of Darfur continue to suffer. The sheer enormity of the crisis is almost unimaginable. Violence has forced 2.5 million people to flee their homes and seek refuge in vast, crowded camps in both Darfur and across the border in Chad.

More than 4.5 million people are now affected by the conflict and in need of humanitarian assistance. These numbers continue to rise, as ongoing violence forces thousands more to flee every month. Yet aid workers in the region are finding it increasingly difficult and dangerous to reach the people in need.

Over 4.5 million people in Darfur and eastern Chad now live in need of humanitarian aid
2.5 million Darfuris – more than one in three of the region’s population – have been forced to flee their homes by the violence. Over 2 million of them are now sheltering in camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) inside Darfur, while a further quarter of a million refugees from Darfur are in camps over the border in neighboring Chad.
2007 saw more than 300,000 more people flee violence in Darfur. Many people have now fled two, three or even four times to try and find some kind of safety.
Another 185,000 Chadians have fled their homes as the conflict has become increasingly regional. The number of Chadians displaced by violence has quadrupled in the past year.

Oxfam is there

Despite the daily dangers, Oxfam is currently providing vital assistance to more than 500,000 people affected by the crisis, both in Darfur and eastern Chad. We provide essential access to clean water and sanitation, and carry out public health education programs to try and prevent the spread of disease. We distribute basic necessities such as blankets, soap and jerry cans for carrying water.

As the crisis continues, we are implementing projects to provide livelihood opportunities to help people find an alternative to relying on external aid. In all our projects, we promote effective management of Darfur’s increasingly scarce natural resources such as water and wood.

Read more about our work to save lives in Darfur.

Latest

28 March 2008

Aid agencies warn over 2 million people risk being cut off from assistance without more funding for vital Sudan aid flights

14 international aid agencies today warned that vital assistance to millions of people across Sudan will soon be put in jeopardy unless there is renewed commitment to provide long-term funding for humanitarian flights in the country. With violent conflict continuing in Darfur and heavy annual rains due to fall in southern Sudan, aid agencies nbow rely more than ever on the UN to help them deliver assistance.

18 February 2008

Oxfam warns Europe not to repeat mistakes of Darfur in Chad

Urgent action required in Chad as increased insecurity threatens thousands of lives – Oxfam calls on EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels not to repeat the mistakes of Darfur in Chad, and to vigorously pursue all diplomatic channels to help secure a lasting ceasefire and a durable peace. Europe must go beyond responding to the urgent protection needs of civilians and start working for a negotiated settlement of the crisis in Chad.

08 February 2008

Oxfam International's aid effort in Chad three weeks away from total shut down

Oxfam International warned today that its aid effort in eastern Chad is three weeks away from total shut down when it will be forced to turn off the water for more than 100,000 people. Fighting in the capital N'djamena over the weekend has cut supply lines going to the east, where 470,000 refugees and displaced people are dependent on humanitarian aid. The agency is calling on the UN and donors to open up an airlift of aid and alternative land link to get the aid through.

03 February 2008

Oxfam evacuates aid workers from Chad capital

Oxfam has evacuated its international staff from its N’djamena office, following the latest upsurge in fighting in the capital. Oxfam still has its field teams in eastern Chad who continue to supply aid to more than 100,000 people.

25 January 2008

Sudan crisis: situation update, January 2008

Darfur is the world’s largest humanitarian response, with 4 million people in need of assistance. The humanitarian need continues to rise, yet daily violent incidents against aid workers are putting the entire response at risk of collapse. The international community must do more to bring about changes that will improve the lives of civilians.

10 December 2007

400,000 lives hang in the balance as EU member states drag feet on Chad Force

International agency Oxfam today criticized European Union member states for failing to provide an urgently needed neutral force to protect over 400,000 Darfuri refugees and displaced people in Eastern Chad as after fighting forced the agency to temporarily suspend operations in parts of the country. Oxfam argue that in order to be effective the force must maintain strictly neutrality and protect civilians from any, and all perpetrators of violence. Chad has been promised a EU force – which includes Irish, Belgian, French and Swedish soldiers – which was due to arrive in October but a series of setbacks have seen its arrival delayed until at least the new year.