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Country Background
The current crisis in Darfur is only the latest in Sudan’s series of nearly continuous and overlapping civil conflicts, which have dominated more than three quarters of the country’s post-independence existence. The result of complex constellations of historical, political, economic and social factors, Sudan’s civil conflicts — in South Sudan, the Eastern Front and Darfur — have transformed Africa’s largest country into a nation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and, in Darfur, the site of the world’s largest international humanitarian operation.
AmeriCares first began providing relief to Sudan in 1987 in response to the North-South civil war. While we continue to support the reconstruction of health services in the south, the majority of our efforts today focus on the delivery of immediate medical aid to support health services for survivors of mass killings and conflict in Darfur that began in 2003. Help AmeriCares save lives in Sudan and around the world »
Emergency Response and Disaster Relief
Survivros of conflict in Darfur are reliant on humanitarian assistance. Insecurity and the shortage of resources and basic services have left roughly two-thirds of the population of Darfur, an area approximately the size of Texas, reliant upon humanitarian assistance to varying degrees — with those in the camps most dependant.
The leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Darfur camps, as in Sudan as a whole, are diseases and conditions for which there exist low-cost and effective treatment and prevention measures, including diarrhea, malaria, acute respiratory infections and perinatal conditions such as birth trauma and low birth rate. However, active armed conflict, the breakdown of infrastructure and widespread poverty have left 85% of Sudan’s population without access to essential medicines.
AmeriCares Health Services in Refugee Camps
To ensure that health practitioners have the tools they needs to diagnose and treat patients under austere conditions in camp health posts and clinics, AmeriCares is delivering airlifts of medicine and supplies directly into Darfur. Our 10th landed in May 2008 and carried over 15 tons of medicines and supplies including anti-malarials, antibiotics, anti-parasitics, micronutrients and materials for wound care and safe births.
AmeriCares and its partners negotiate with authorities to land each airlift directly on runways near camps in Darfur in order to avoid the risks posed by overland transport from Khartoum. Once on the ground, AmeriCares resources stock the shelves of clinics in 19 camps, including the Abu Shouk, AlSalaam, Mornei and Kalma camps, which serve an estimated population of 400,000 people. These clinics are operated by international agencies and AmeriCares partners the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children.
AmeriCares initiated relief efforts for Darfur in 2004, when the conflict escalated to mass killings of civilians and systematic burning of villages. With continued donor support to the Help the People of Darfur fund, AmeriCares has made a long-term commitment to help the people of Sudan. We will continue to deliver medical and other humanitarian aid as long as our help is needed.
Help AmeriCares save lives in Darfur and around the world »
