Member Charity Work in Darfur
Global Impact member charities continue to meet the immediate needs of the refugees, despite considerable risks. The needs are enormous and complex, especially as the camps become increasingly permanent. The member charities work tirelessly to meet the immediate needs, while at the same time foster the long-term independence and economic sustainability of the people.
Since May 2005, Africare has provided temporary shelter and assistance to refugees fleeing from conflict in Darfur, Sudan through its Gaga refugee camp in eastern Chad. Emergency and humanitarian aid have been provided through a wide variety of activities and projects: Africare is responsible for the day-to-day management of the camp, the distribution of food and non-food items, the construction of infrastructures, and training and provision of extension services in the fields of agriculture, livestock, water and sanitation. Over 20,000 refugees (more than 50 percent children under age 14) had sought refuge and aid through the camp. Africare also assists the Chadian host communities, which have been strained by the influx of refugees from Darfur. TOP American Refugee Committee (ARC) has helped nearly 400,000 people a year since it first responded to the Darfur crisis in 2004. It has built nearly 100 school rooms; hired and retrained teachers and stocked each school with textbooks, paper and pencils; and provided nutritious meals to students, in the process getting more than 10,000 kids back in school. It has rebuilt health clinics, started mobile health teams and trained hundreds of midwives. Since 2005, it has immunized over 100,000 children against childhood illnesses. In 2006, ARC provided access to pure drinking water to more than 60,000 people. TOP CARE provides direct humanitarian assistance to over 526,000 people in Darfur and Chad. Project areas include distribution of emergency supplies, health and nutrition, food aid, water and sanitation, strengthening livelihoods, education and psychosocial support and advocacy. Its objective is to distribute food to 300,000 people in Sudan and nearly 56,000 refugees in Chad each month. CARE also works with local Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and community-based groups in both Darfur and Chad to help them address the issue of violence against women.p> The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) will spend $1.4 million from September 2007 to September 2008 to expand existing projects that provide clean water, child immunizations and maternal care, as well as hygiene and HIV prevention programs. CRWRC has provided food, water and health care to displaced Darfurians since 2004. (CWS) continues to aid the residents of Darfur and those who have fled to neighboring Chad through an alliance with other NGOs. It is helping some 325,000 people directly in addition to hospitals and health centers serving up to 250,000 and water projects for additional communities. Alliance activities, supported in part by CWS include immediate need non-food items, shelter, water, sanitation, supplementary feeding, primary health care, protection, psychosocial assistance and education.TOP The International Rescue Committee (IRC) divides its operations into three regions: East Sudan (Darfur), North and East Sudan, and South Sudan, in addition to work in Chad. IRC operates out of five field sites in Darfur where it provides services to about 790,000 people. The IRC also supports six health clinics in the Hashaba rural area of North Darfur, which provide services to over 85,000 persons there. The IRC runs programs in the areas of: Primary and Reproductive Health, Environmental Health (water and sanitation), Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence, Child and Youth Protection and Development, Camp Management and Community Services, and Protection and the Rule of Law. TOP Near East Foundation (NEF) has been working for the past five years in the settlement of New Dar-el-Salaam El-Rabwa, north of Khartoum, aiding 45,000 internally displaced people who have fled violence and drought in other parts of the country. The primary focus is maternal/child health promotion as well as reproductive health services and income generation. NEF has established a fully-operational health clinic with all services offered at nominal fees to enhance access. NEF has worked with residents to gain clean, potable water for their rapidly-growing population; rehabilitated the local school; and established a community-base credit program providing micro-loans to local residents, expanding a program operational in other parts of the country. In addition to its ongoing project and training programs, NEF also maintains the most extensive library of development-related materials in Sudan. TOP TOP TOP Save the Children programs in Sudan help provide such basics as sanitation and clean water, health care and camp coordination to the millions of displaced persons and refugees. In addition, its work includes health, food security, education, protection, HIV/AIDS and microfinance programs, as well as family tracing and reunification. Other efforts include training village midwives, constructing or rehabilitating health clinics, distributing food, seeds and tools, offering community managed tractor services to increase agricultural production and widespread school feeding programs. Save the Children has also provided secure, child-friendly centers that more than 55,000 children have attended in 11 different locations around West Darfur. At these centers, the children learn basic literacy, hygiene practices and social skills. With adult guidance, they have a chance to rebuild their sense of security and stability that has been shattered by the violence. TOP Although the focus of Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)'s work in Darfur is to improve the safety of women in refugee camps, it is addressing the crisis in Darfur in two ways: working on the ground to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, and leading an advocacy effort - Drumbeat for Darfur - which engages in long-term lobbying efforts and mobilization to end the violence. UUSC is developing alternative income generation projects and fuel possibilities so women can limit their trips outside the camps, thereby reducing their vulnerability. As part of its work in South Darfur, a UUSC consultant has trained 15 male camp leaders about gender-based violence, in the process giving women the opportunity to raise their protection issues. World Relief operates 13 feeding centers for young children where the children are weighed, examined and given supplementary food as needed. The centers provide a food supplement known as corn soya blend (CSB), a flour mix used to make the dietary staple called asida. The organization teaches mothers how to prepare nutritious meals from inexpensive locally available ingredients.
View our Darfur photo gallery |
