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Conflict and Refugees in the Darfur Region of Sudan
Updated August 2004

One of the most volatile and deadly conflicts today is in Darfur, a western region of Sudan. As a result of the violence, over 50,000-100,000 Sudanese have died, 200,000 have fled and sought asylum in Chad, and a million left their homes and are still in Sudan. The United States Agency for International Development predicted that 350,000 people would die in the region by the end of 2004, many of starvation and disease, both pandemic in the refugee camps. The role of the United States and other international organizations in complicated by the fact that the Sudanese government has frequently attempted to block humanitarian aid from reaching the region.

Background
Sudan has been experiencing conflict in the form of civil war and state sponsored violence since 1955. During this time, major conflicts have arisen between people in the poorer, non-Arab, non-Muslim south and in the richer and more powerful Arab and Muslim north. While cease-fire agreements from the 1980s call for a secular government and judiciary, the whole country is now subject to Shari’a (Islamic Law). In 2003 the Sudanese government began to deny humanitarian aid workers access to Sudan. This humanitarian aid would have helped the Sudanese who were struck by drought and famine in the early nineties, and again in 2000-2001. Because of continuing droughts, the destruction of farmland by militia forces, and the flight of many farmers from their land, these famines will only get worse, and it is estimated that between one and four hundred thousand people could die of starvation if Sudan does not receive aid.

Much of this food aid was to be directed to the Darfur region and to the former residents of Darfur who were forced to flee because of the growing violence in the area. The residents of Darfur are mostly nomadic Arab herders or non-Arab farmers. The Sudanese government has sided with the herders in disputes over land and resources, and has even encouraged the herders to graze their livestock on the farmers’ land. The farmers, in response, have attacked government forces in the area, claiming that the government incited and even armed local Arab militias called Janjaweed to attack non-Arab farming villages. The Janjaweed are currently on a campaign of attacking and destroying villages in Darfur, as well as systematically raping women. The Sudanese government has also initiated campaigns of aerial bombing against these villages, as retribution for the villagers alleged support of rebel forces.

Millions have been forced to flee the region, but those who flee remain in grave danger after leaving Darfur. There are currently an estimated 200,000 refugees in Chad who are in danger of starvation or disease due to chronically overcrowded refugee camps, and Sudanese government forces have attacked refugees in these camps. In addition, there are an estimated one million internally displaced persons (IDP) in Sudan, who are also affected by the same issues of starvation, disease and war.

International Response
Human rights advocates accuse the United Nations and other international organizations of responding slowly and inadequately to the situation in Darfur. In early July 2004, the UN entered into an agreement with the Sudanese government, in which the government pledged to crack down on the Janjaweed militia operating in the Darfur region and to allow greater access to relief workers. Shortly thereafter, the UN Security Council passed a resolution threatening sanctions if the Sudanese government did not bring the situation under control by August 31, 2004. Advocates assert that these resolutions do not go far enough and that allowing Sudan additional time to comply effectively causes the death of thousands of individuals in Darfur.

The actions of the international community, especially the UN and the African Union – the recent successor to the Organization of African Unity – have been hampered by the obstruction of the Sudanese government. Further, many believe that the UN and related agencies have not planned sufficiently to provide needed aid to the region. As a result, aid efforts for those displaced from Darfur are massively understaffed and under-equipped. There are currently 300 to 400 international aid workers in Darfur, while the UN calls for 1,000. In addition, the rainy season, which started mid-summer, brings with it a host of new transportation difficulties and deadly diseases such as malaria. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has spearheaded an effort to collect more money from Western European and Middle Eastern countries, which have thus far given little money to support UN relief efforts. As of July 2004, the UN has received less than half of the 350 million dollars it requested for the humanitarian mission in Darfur.

U.S. Response
The U.S. government has also voiced concerns about the situation in Darfur, and senior government officials have said that the situation there is critical. Secretary of State Colin Powell went to Sudan in June of this year and met with both UN Secretary General Annan and representatives of the Sudanese government. Congress passed a resolution in July 2004 calling the situation in Darfur a genocide and urging President Bush to seek a UN protection force. While representatives of the United States government continue to assert that America is putting pressure on Sudan to change, the situation remains dire.

Jewish Response
In June 2003, the U.S. Holocaust Museum issued its first genocide warning ever and shut down for half an hour to draw attention to the violence in Sudan . Other Jewish organizations including the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief and the American Jewish World Service have been raising money for and awareness about the issue. Twenty-two Jewish organizations – including the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – have joined with other faith based, humanitarian and human rights organizations in July of 2004 to sign on to a ‘Unity Statement and Call to Action’ on the situation in Darfur. HIAS is working closely with colleagues in refugee protection and assistance organizations and UN agencies to assess the needs in Darfur and Chad and to advocate for a strong U.S. response.