23 June, 2004
Caritas Delivers Relief Supplies to Darfur, Sudan
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, the Catholic agency for justice, peace and development commends the government for its
further contribution of $NZ1 million to assist with the current refugee crises in Sudan.
The aid will be gratefully received as the region struggles to cope with the magnitude of the situation. To date there
are over 1 million displaced persons within Darfur and nearly 200,000 refugees who had fled over the border into Chad to
escape from the Janjaweed militias.
Caritas has joined together with Action by Churches Together (ACT) to respond to the ongoing humanitarian emergency. The
joint ecumenical response will be known as the ACT/Caritas Darfur Emergency Response (ACDER).
A plane containing food supplies, emergency shelter equipment and vehicles recently arrived in Southern Darfur, from
there the supplies will be transported to nearby camps. The estimated number of beneficiaries will be in excess of
125,000 people, mainly in Mershing and Ta’asha in South Darfur and Zalingi in West Darfur.
It is a race against time as the rainy season, which has already started in some parts of Southern Darfur, will render
many areas inaccessible; cutting off vital supplies of food and water. There is also the increased risk of outbreaks of
diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and cholera.
"The latest reports predict the possibility of 1 million deaths from starvation if we do not act now. All of the UN
organisations report a lack of funding. We urge all governments to realise the seriousness of the situation and commit
funds to ensure as many lives as possible are saved," said Duncan MacLaren, Secretary General of Caritas
Internationalis.
Caritas is working to provide food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, health care and education for people living in
the displaced camps. It is also working with around 10,000 villagers who have returned home to 23 villages in Ta’asha
district. All 23 villages were burnt down in militia attacks. Caritas will be providing them food supplies together with
seeds and tools that are urgently needed in order that they do not miss the planting season starting now.
All of this goes alongside the work of Caritas in Chad where there are 200,000 refugees in camps on the border. Caritas
is managing three of the six major camps.
To make a donation to the Caritas Sudan Refugee Appeal please phone 0900 4 11 11
ENDS