Renewed Crisis in West Darfur

West Darfur fell victim to renewed violence as government forces recaptured previously rebel-held areas in early February 2008. The most affected villages are Abu Siruj, Seleia and Sirba in the northern part of the state, and initial assessments show that the recent fighting has yielded great humanitarian costs.

CRS has funded the building of shelters for people displaced by the conflict. Photo by Lana Slezic for CRS

The clashes that took place on Friday, February 8, have caused death, resulted in massive dislocations of the civilian population, and wreaked considerable destruction upon the people as well as the housing and public infrastructure of the communities. About 90 deaths have been reported, while an estimated 40 to 70 percent of the households in Abu Siruj and Sirba have been looted or destroyed.

Humanitarian agencies were affected directly by the violence as well. The Catholic Relief Services office compounds in Abu Siruj and Seleia were damaged and looted, and the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed the death of one its national staff members.

The violence has caused the largest displacement of civilians in months, with a reported influx of nearly 10,000 new refugees into Chad; some CRS national staff are among those that fled across the border seeking respite from the conflict. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Chad is working to register and transport refugees to safe havens, including Kounoungou Camp, which is managed by CRS' local partner, Catholic Relief and Development, also known as Secadev.

CRS' Emergency Response

An assessment in Sirba and Abu Siruj on February 11 revealed that at least 50 percent of the people in these villages have been left without shelter and household assets. A CRS staffer in West Darfur noted that the need for shelter and basic supplies is "immense and will require a significant mobilization of resources and efforts."

CRS quickly prepared its response. During the week of February 11, a CRS team joined other agencies in providing emergency assistance on-site in Sirba, Seleia and Abu Siruj. CRS procured and distributed essential supplies for 1,400 families in Abu Siruj in collaboration with the United Nations Joint Logistics Center and the World Food Program. CRS also provided a one-month supply of food rations for 5,000 people in Sirba, 500 in Seleia and 5,000 more in Abu Siruj.

This latest crisis comes at the heels of another displacement of people from Seraf Jidad, also in West Darfur, after clashes in January. CRS is coming to their aid by providing basic necessities, and plans to provide shelter for at least 1,000 families. CRS' water and sanitation team is also currently designing a water-supply system and is constructing latrines.

Our Work in Darfur

Since May 2004, CRS has been providing humanitarian aid in West Darfur, assisting more than 160,000 people affected by the ongoing conflict. Each month, CRS works with the World Food Program and locally organized food relief committees to distribute emergency food rations to about 150,000 people in 35 locations in El Geneina and up the northern corridor. CRS is also providing other essential services, including shelter assistance for displaced families, school construction, training of volunteer teachers, nutrition education, construction of hand-washing facilities and latrines, other health and hygiene activities, livestock health initiatives, and agricultural support through seed and tool fairs. People served include those living in camps, nomadic communities affected by the conflict and communities hosting displaced people.