For more than three years, this region of Sudan has racked up dismaying statistics: tens of thousands deaths, 1.8 million people living in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, 200,000 refugees in Eastern Chad. Action Against Hunger is implementing programmes in the North and South of Darfur.

A very complex crisis

The international press has often characterised the war in Darfur as an 'ethnic' conflict between black and Arab populations or as a struggle against the region’s marginalisation. “However, the reality is far more complex,” explains Berengere de Penanster, Action Against Hunger’s programme director in Sudan. “This current conflict is the result of a series of conflicts over the past 30 years, often linked to the question of land access for nomadic populations. The latter lay claim to seasonal migration routes and grazing land, sometimes encrouching on the land of sedentary farmers, and vice versa. This is one of the causes of the conflict sparked in 2004."

An entrenched humanitarian crisis

Although a peace process was initiated following the signing of a peace agreement (which was not signed by all warring parties), the Darfur crisis seems to have become entrenched. Berengere de Penanster explains that “although the humanitarian situation can be said to be stable, needs including access to water and food are immense for both displaced people and populations that remained in their villages. Only humanitarian organisations are responding to these needs.” And she adds: “Darfur is one of the biggest failures for humanitarian organisations. However, it can also be seen as a success since they have been able to prevent an even worse disaster. Unfortunately, all the situation's observers fear that nothing will improve markedly in the coming months without a real change in the political and security situation."

People living in fear

One of the biggest current problems is the continuing insecurity in Darfur’s three regions. The schism of one of the rebel factions following the recent peace accord — the SLA (Sudanese Liberation Army) — has led to violent conflict within the rebellion.

The first victims of this conflict and extortion remain civil populations.  Those who are, for example, in the camps of displaced people at Abu Shok, Kalma,  and Gereida, or in towns like Nyala — where Action Against Hunger’s teams are working — can’t return to their homes because they’re afraid: “They do not have any perspective for the future unless their security is ensured in the villages where they used to live,” says Aude Staine, in charge of Action Against Hunger’s nutritional programmes in Abu Shok camp, sheltering 50,000 displaced people close to El Fasher. “People want to return home. They are attached to their land and living in an IDP camp is very difficult. However, they are too scared to relive what they have gone through - the violence during a sudden night attack and the consequent flight,” says Berengere. “What's more, the attacked towns were often partially destroyed, so returns must be planned, not improvised.” 

Treating malnutrition, providing food

Action Against Hunger’s first mission in Darfur is to treat acute malnutrition to save lives. Action Against Hunger treats severely malnourished children in Therapeutic Feeding Centres and implements programmes for moderately malnourished children. The latter involves the distribution of nutritious food for home treatment. These programmes are complemented by awareness-raising programmes. As Celine Lessaure, who is working with Action Against Hunger in the region, explains: “ in Darfur, malnutrition and hunger are slightly taboo. It’s necessary to raise the consciousness of the people so that mothers correctly follow the treatment given to their child.  The idea is to get the message spread by communities, groups of women, religious leaders. ”

Action Against Hunger distributes food to displaced people such as in the Shangil Tobay area in the south of El Fasher and in Gereida camp, where the organisation has opened a base providing for 100,000 people.

Giving back autonomy to populations

Simultaneously, Action Against Hunger is attempting to help the Sudanese become nutritionally self-sustaining and to restore their livelihoods. “In villages that have not been deserted, in the regions of Nyala and El Fasher, our teams are distributing tools and seeds, implementing a programme to treat livestock to rejuvenate agriculture and to give people that have stayed or returned to their villages the means to restore their livelihoods,” says Berengere.

Access to water remains a big problem in camps and villages. “The depth of the water level is a problem: in Gereida, for example, you have to drill 200 metres deep. This type of drilling requires immense technical demands. We also train people using the wells. We have put a water payment system into place, which is managed by the community. This helps to restore and strengthen traditional community structures.”

Action Against Hunger is helping people to recover their autonomy. “We have to help people in Darfur to find solutions for themselves. However, we also have to be vigilant regarding possible emergencies such as a peak in malnutrition levels. Thus, our teams monitor the food security situation via regular nutritional surveys.”

The fear of numerous people on the ground is that this crisis will little by little become the victim of international indifference and that funds will begin to run out.  And then, will humanitarian organisations - including Action Against Hunger — still be able to guarantee the survival of hundreds of thousands of people?

Gereida: feeding 100,000 people every day

Massimilano is working with Action Against Hunger in Gereida camp

Gereida is the biggest IDP camp in the world, with 100,000 people surrounding a town of just 25,000 people,” says Massimiliano. “The town and the village are controlled by the rebels while the surrounding areas are under government control. Six months ago, the camp sheltered 40,000 people but attacks on surrounding villages led to more than 60,000 people fleeing their homes within just a few months. The aim of our intervention is to continue the distribution previously carried out by the ICRC. This is a big logistical challenge,” explains Massimiliano. “It means distributing food to 100,000 people. During the rainy season, from June to September, access to the town is difficult from Nyala and we were forced to bring all materials prior to this in order to be able to be as independent as possible.” 

Helping people

Zahraa is 28 years old. She is from Nyala in Sudan. Zahraa has been working for Action Against Hunger since January 2005. She supervises, manages and trains a team of 40 health workers responsible for actively seeking out malnutrition cases. They are also responsible for hygiene training. Zahraa studied at the University of Khartoum and then started working with humanitarian organisations. “I enjoy working with Action Against Hunger. I put my competences to the service of other people,” she explains. Zahraa works in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The town has received tens of thousands of refugees and the population has continued growing since the beginning of the war in 2003: “After every attack on a surrounding village, more families have to stay with friends or sleep on streets or wherever they can. This drama is not going to end until there is peace. I am convinced that in the meantime, we have to help them.”

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