Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Humanitarian organisations are intensifying efforts to assist Sudanese refugees in Chad fleeing violence in Darfur west Sudan. One of these organisations working in Chad is the Jesuit Refugee Service JRS which, at the request of Archbishop of N'Djamena, capital of Chad, undertook a fact-finding mission to consider the needs of the refugees in view of sending specialised staff to provide social assistance and instruction. The JRS agreed to insert its findings and proposals in a statement by Caritas Internationalis and SECADEV (Caritas Chad) and to use their structures if a decision is taken to send a team to Chad. The necessary information should be collected by the end of May and the programme should start in June.
In a report sent to Fides, Caritas Internationalis says it has launched a campaign to collect two million dollars for Sudanese refugees in Chad where, it warns, the “situation in refugee camps is rapidly deteriorating”. There is increasing hunger and malnutrition among refugees in the camps and refugees still on the way from Sudan to Chad. In the desperate search for something to eat they are eating leaves from the trees.
There are already 150,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad who have fled violence in Darfur. One million more are said to be displaced Sudan. Humanitarian organisations have asked the Sudanese government to make a humanitarian corridor to allow relief aid for civilian victims of violence in Darfur.
Caritas Chad has set up and organised three camps each with 10,000 people and more people keep coming.
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR is concerned about the serious difficulties faced in one of the most demanding humanitarian operations in course” a statement sent to Fides reads. “The main obstacles are insecurity and isolation of the territory which is a border strip of about 600km long. Besides logistic and transport problems there is also scarcity of water, firewood, cooking gas in camps while the number of refugees continues to grow. This makes it difficult to find sites for more camps. Moreover the level of funding of the operation is still very low. Given the persistent gravity of the situation in the region of Darfur, UNHCR says it will have to update its work plan for operations in east Chad on the basis of a much higher figure than the original estimate of 110,000 refugees used so far. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2004, righe 37 parole 472)
