* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
After a recent outbreak of violence in Darfur, Sudan, thousands of people have left their homes in search of shelter and security. It is estimated that in the first three months of this year, at least 150,000 people have been newly displaced within the greater Darfur region and around 50,000 have fled to neighboring Chad.
“People are in urgent need of food, shelter, water and emergency supplies. We hear that women and children have been the most affected by the conflict, and fear disease outbreaks”, says Ivo Freijsen, CARE International Switzerland’s Country Director in Sudan. “, Organizations such as CARE are working hard to mobilize additional funding so that we can better respond to these growing needs.”
This upsurge of displaced families puts an immense strain on humanitarian organizations working to assist the more than 1.4 million people who had to flee their homes and live in camps in Darfur.
CARE is assisting displaced families in the El Salaam and Kalma camps close to Nyala as well around Kass and Gereida, providing safe water and hygiene and other services. “The camps need urgent support to provide sufficient services to the arriving families. We are building latrines, distribute hygiene kits, organize hygiene awareness campaigns and repair water points,” says Freijsen. “In order to rapidly scale up our activities and assist more people, many of whom are dispersed across several locations, we need more funding.”
Currently, CARE runs programs mainly in South Darfur and South Kordofan, providing relief services to internally displaced people, assist conflict-affected populations to restore livelihoods, and promote peace and stability. Current activities include water and sanitation, hygiene education, primary health care, nutrition and livelihoods support.
About CARE
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In 2012, we worked in 84 countries, supporting 997 poverty-fighting projects to reach more than 83 million people.
