Photo Credit: Refugees International/ Yodit Fitigu
03/15/2005

The crisis in Darfur, a remote western province in Sudan, has threatened the lives of several million people. With the support of the Government of Sudan, the Janjaweed militia have terrorized civilians, killing people and burning villages in Darfur. Refugees International recently completed an assessment mission in eastern Chad to bring attention to the more than 210,000 refugees who fled the violence in Darfur. From the first arrival of refugees in 2003, the local Chadian population hosted the refugees and shared their food and shelter. In the past months, however, pressure on already scarce resources has led to increased tension between refugees and the local population. The large refugee influx put a burden on a fragile environment, decreasing the availability of water, grazing land and firewood. The volatile situation in Darfur is unchanged and thus refugee return in significant numbers in the near future is unlikely. International donors need to be prepared for sustaining the refugee camps in Chad for at least another year, while increasing support for programs that benefit the host communities as well. Programs focusing on the protection needs of children and women are especially needed as many of them are survivors of attacks and rapes by the Janjaweed.

Read more about Refugees International's Work in Chad.

Read more about the crisis in Chad.