Christian Aid Launches Emergency Appeal for Darfur

|PIC1|Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal for Darfur, highlighting the fact that one year after the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement the situation today is worse than ever.

A release by Christian Aid said that "Rather than bringing peace to the region, it has led to further fighting and insecurity."

Working in more than 50 countries, Christian Aid has led a compassionate outreach to provide for those suffering in the war-torn regions of Sudan.

The relief agency comments: "An estimated 1.9 million people are now living in over crowded makeshift camps. Clean water is in short supply. Food is scarce. With no peace or security, people are too scared to return home."

As the crisis continues, Christian Aid is working through Action for Churches Together, Caritas and three local partner organisations.

Alistair Dutton, head of Christian Aid's humanitarian response unit, said: "Despite the increasing insecurity in the area, we are still getting help to those in need, but it is becoming more difficult and expensive ."

Christian Aid is working through local organisations to provide safe, clean water by drilling new boreholes, installing and repairing hand pumps and rehabilitating hand-dug wells, and is providing food rations to malnourished children under five years and pregnant women.

It is also providing basic necessities such as water cans, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and blankets to families living in camps, primary healthcare to people living in the camps and host communities, and rebuilding and rehabilitating schools so the children do not miss out on their education while living in the camps.

Dutton added: "We are also asking governments to provide adequate protection to the people living in Darfur and support a single inclusive peace process.

"We desperately need your support today to ensure we can continue to provide help to people in Darfur both now and in the future.

"At the moment we are helping 450,000 people. If we do not receive enough funding we will have to scale down our work - an unimaginable thought given the worsening crisis."

To donate to the Christian Aid emergency appeal please visit: Christian Aid Emergency Appeal for Darfur