Darfur's Urgent Needs Continue

By Debbie DeVoe

"In the past, we used to farm, growing millet," shares a man dressed in the traditional white robe worn commonly in Darfur and across northern Sudan. "Because people are now displaced, we depend on this relief food."

Since May 2004, Catholic Relief Services has provided services to 160,000 people in West Darfur, working primarily in the state capital of El Geneina and the northern part of the state. During the spring of 2009, CRS expanded operations southward to support 240,000 additional people in need in the Habila and Mukjar areas due to the forced departure of two key aid agencies previously operating in these communities.

Expanding our services required months of hard work learning about the new areas, hiring staff to support additional activities, moving people and supplies, and coordinating with the national and local authorities, key donors and the United Nations. These efforts are paying off immensely by ensuring continuous delivery of services—including food distributions, agricultural support, hygiene and sanitation initiatives, and the distribution of essential household items.

Filling Food Needs

Across Darfur, families have fled rural villages and moved to cities and towns to escape violence. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2003, the town of Habila alone has swelled from around 15,000 residents to more than 21,000. Unlike other places where displaced people live in formal camps, displaced families in Habila have built small grass huts on relatives' compounds or the edges of the town.

All of Habila's residents are considered conflict-affected and receive monthly food rations from the World Food Program, which are now being distributed with CRS' support. Due to financial constraints and agricultural assistance that is helping families grow some food, these rations have been cut in half.

"I would like to go back to my village because I need to farm. The relief food we receive isn't enough to last the whole month," says Hawa Mohemmed, a mother of six, who adds that the food lasts her family about 10 days.

To purchase additional food, many residents earn a few dollars each day hiring themselves out to make mud bricks or by collecting grasses or firewood to sell.

Farming Wherever Possible

Seed and tool fairs hosted by CRS and funded by the U.S. government are helping families in West Darfur to farm wherever security allows. A few families are able to return home to farm, but the majority are farming on the edges of the towns where they are now living.

In Habila and Mukjar, CRS' seed and tool fairs build on the work previously supported by the recently expelled agencies. By providing agricultural materials through fairs instead of direct distributions, CRS is supporting local traders and allowing residents to select the best materials based on their needs and preferences.

Each eligible family receives $15 of vouchers that they trade for around 44 pounds of seed and three tools of their choice. These materials should enable each recipient to grow enough food for a family of six for half a year.

"Seed and tool fairs help local traders earn income while giving farmers access to a wider variety of preferred local seeds that grow well," explains Giballa Ahmed, CRS' agricultural project officer for West Darfur. "After we explained the voucher system to the beneficiaries and traders—and assured the traders that they would receive cash in return for all vouchers collected—everyone was very supportive of CRS' approach, including the local sheiks."

"We lost all our tools when we came to Habila town," explains Hawa Bara, a farmer who picked out a rake, hoe and ax at a recent tool fair. After selecting millet, peanut, sesame and okra seeds at a seed fair, she plans a daily commute—hiking three hours each way—to farm on her original land. Due to continued dangers, she'll return to Habila each evening to sleep.

Ready to Assist Further

CRS has also helped to maintain hygiene and sanitation activities in the Habila and Mukjar areas to prevent the spread of disease and improve overall community health. Key activities include working with civic authorities to organize better disposal of garbage, conducting hygiene trainings and helping families to build simple pit latrines. The agency has also teamed with the United Nations to distribute essential household items such as plastic sheeting and water cans, of particular importance to keep families healthy as the rainy season approaches.

"Already, CRS has overcome many challenges resulting from the recent turn of events in Darfur, but many still remain," notes Mark Snyder, CRS Sudan country representative. "Through ongoing collaboration with key parties, we are determining additional support we can provide. Although this work requires extensive resources and is far from easy, CRS is committed to helping people in need in West Darfur in whatever ways possible."

Debbie DeVoe is CRS' regional information officer for eastern and southern Africa, based in Nairobi.