"The humanitarian need in Gereida remains enormous, and we have been extremely keen to return. It is with great regret that our security concerns have not been addressed, leaving us with no choice but to relocate our programs elsewhere. Since the attack, we have repeatedly stressed our desire to return to the town. But the local authorities have not lived up to their responsibility to ensure our staff can work safely. Despite our repeated requests, none of the perpetrators have been held to account, none of the assets stolen in the attack have been returned, and we have not received credible assurances that similar attacks would not take place if we did return," said Caroline Nursey, Oxfam's Sudan Programme Manager.
Gereida is under the control of the Minni Minnawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), a signatory to the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006. Since the signing of that agreement the situation in Darfur has deteriorated significantly.
"Without action and assurances from those in control, we cannot operate in areas that have proven to be so extremely unsafe for our staff. The international community needs to ensure that parties to the conflict in Darfur take their responsibilities under international humanitarian law seriously," said Nursey.
Oxfam has reached an agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that it will take over maintenance of water and sanitation services on a long-term basis. However, Oxfam's important health education and livelihoods work in the town will cease after August. This work has helped prevent the spread of disease in the vast, crowded camp and also provided opportunities for people to improve their livelihoods and reduce their dependency on aid.
"As usual in Darfur, the people who will suffer most are the civilians who have already been attacked, forced from their homes and had their lives thrown into turmoil. For the last six months they have not had the level of assistance that they need," added Nursey.
The attack in Gereida on December 18th 2006 saw armed men raid the compounds of Oxfam and Action Against Hunger/Action Contre La Faim. 12 humanitarian vehicles were stolen, a female aid worker raped and an Oxfam staff member very badly beaten. Other aid workers were subjected to mock executions. Communications equipment and money were also taken. Oxfam staff were among 71 aid workers evacuated from the town as a result. Since then Oxfam has maintained some basic public health services through local staff in the town, but most operations have been suspended.
While the incident in Gereida was particularly serious, targeted attacks on aid workers have now become a daily occurrence in Darfur, gravely threatening the entire humanitarian response on which 4 million people depend. Aid agencies' ability to reach people in need has been greatly curtailed as a result.
Oxfam began working in Gereida in mid-2004 as people began to seek shelter there from attacks on villages in the surrounding area. In early 2006, work was scaled up considerably to respond to escalating violence, that in just four months more than tripled the population of the camp. Until mid-2006 Oxfam was one of only three agencies working in the town and provided tens of thousands of new arrivals with access to clean water, sanitation and other essential items such as blankets and shelter materials. By the time of the attack in December Oxfam was pumping 15 liters of water per person per day into the camp (more than 2 million liters in total) – compared to four liters per person per day just four months earlier.
Despite the withdrawal from Gereida, Oxfam is still assisting around 400,000 people affected by the Darfur-Chad crisis, by providing life-saving clean water, sanitation, health education and livelihoods work. It is now looking at new areas of South Darfur state in which to extend its work.
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"The people of Darfur urgently need the help of organizations like Oxfam,” said George Clooney, Not On Our Watch co-founder.
The grant aids Oxfam's ability to serve over 500,000 displaced people in Darfur and neighboring Chad. In addition to supporting the provision of urgently needed clean water, safe sanitation, and other public health work, the donation will fund longer term needs:
"More than three years of violence in Darfur has devastated millions of people and left them on the edge of survival," said President of Oxfam America, Raymond C. Offenheiser. “We have to find a way to reach more people, get them the support they need, and help them plan for the future.”
Not On Our Watch was founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Jerry Weintraub to focus global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities. Drawing on the powerful voice of citizen artists, activists, and cultural leaders, our mission is to generate lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced. Web site: www.notonourwatchproject.org.
]]>On Saturday, Nov. 10, 31 concerts will take place in the United States, as well as in Australia and South Africa, showcasing bands that share the common goal of promoting peace in the African region. Fans can show their support for the cause by attending one of the concerts. MySpace has arranged for a portion of the proceeds from each concert to be donated to Oxfam (http://www.myspace.com/Oxfam), a leading international relief and development organization, and to the Save Darfur Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness about the insecurity in Darfur.
“MySpace is committed to empowering our users to get involved and make a positive impact on the world around them,” said Jeff Berman, senior vice president of public affairs at MySpace. “Rock for Darfur is just one extension of our efforts to encourage the MySpace community to take action, in small, but meaningful ways, and help combat one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises.”
The “Rock for Darfur” concerts will feature bands from around the world representing all genres of music including pop, rock, country, punk, and reggae, uniting to make a positive impact on the Darfur crisis. Last year’s 22 “Rock for Darfur” concerts together raised $50,000 for relief efforts. Oxfam will use the funds raised to help provide 500,000 people in Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan with basic supplies such as clean water, shelter, blankets, soap, and disease prevention programs. The Save Darfur Coalition works specifically to support awareness and advocacy programs that are vital to ending the Darfur crisis.
"Rock for Darfur" concerts on Nov. 10 will feature:
"Oxfam is a feisty campaigning organization," said Kidjo. "I support them not just because of their amazing humanitarian work in countries like Chad but also because they campaign and tackle the root reasons why people are poor. I want to shine a light on the terrible situation in Chad and Darfur and this song which means so much to me, is my way of trying to make a difference not just through the donated sales of the single but by hopefully reminding people that poverty and suffering is not that far away from all of us."
Kidjo has a longstanding relationship with Oxfam and met with its humanitarian workers on her recent trip to Chad. After the trip she called on world leaders to use all diplomatic means to establish an immediate ceasefire in the neighboring Darfur region in Sudan. There are now more than four million people in need of humanitarian aid in Darfur, with two million of them living as virtual prisoners in camps they are too scared to leave. In eastern Chad, there are some 230,000 refugees from Darfur in 12 camps, with another 180,000 'internally displaced' Chadians forced from their homes.
]]>G8 countries are "running to stand still" said Max Lawson, Senior Policy Advisor at Oxfam, as last minute talks between officials ended inconclusively, with some countries reluctant even to reiterate past aid promises on the eve of the summit.
Lawson: "G8 officials have today been involved in feverish negotiation over the final texts but have failed to agree. Italy, Canada and Japan are leading the scramble for reverse gear, refusing even to reiterate promises to increase aid that they made in 2005 - mainly because they have been busy breaking those promises ever since."
"The extra aid that was promised at the G8 summit in Gleneagles two years ago could put millions of kids into school, employ nurses, doctors and teachers, buy medicines for people with AIDS—literally save lives. But collectively, the G8 looks set to fall short of their pledge by a massive $30bn. If they do not get back on track, 5 million extra people will die by 2010. This is about a lot more than numbers on a piece of paper."
Climate change is the other issue that remains controversial ahead of the official summit start on Wednesday, with Germany pushing for consensus on a global stabilization target and proposals for multilateral negotiations on a post-2012 framework. The first phase of the Kyoto protocol runs from 2008-2012.
Lawson: "Over the last few days we have seen a plethora of new initiatives on climate change, led by former leading naysayers, but we don't need a new process or approach. There is already a process in place at the UN that countries should follow, and the G8 should support, so that they can come up with a global solution to global problem.
"We are already seeing poor people in developing countries suffering the effects of climate change. They can't wait for the results of a beauty parade of different country initiatives. They need the G8 to provide money now to help them adapt to climate change, while at the same time agreeing on measures to cut emissions and limit global warming to as far below 2 degrees as possible."
Also over the weekend, violent protests attracted the attention of G8 watchers and the media. Peaceful campaigning was overshadowed by violence and injury.
Lawson: "This summit must not be remembered for broken promises and burning cars. There is huge potential here and a huge chance for the world richest and most powerful countries to live up to their responsibility to support development and poverty reduction in the developing world. Failure to act on this would be unforgivable."
]]>Yesterday afternoon's incident is a regular crime which is undermining the humanitarian work in the region. In the last two years around 70 vehicles belonging to humanitarian organizations have been lost to gunmen operating in the northern border region of Chad
In this case, three health engineers and two local drivers were traveling in two cars, in convoy with a third from another international humanitarian organization, when they were held up at gunpoint on the road from Abeche to Guereda in Eastern Chad. All three international staff - a Frenchman and Ugandan based in the UK and an Indian national - were injured by the gunmen before they were abandoned in the bush. With the help of the local authorities they later located two of the cars and used them to travel back to Abeche. One Oxfam car remained missing but has now been found by the authorities.
Penny Lawrence, Oxfam's International Director said,
"Safety of our staff is paramount. Oxfam has strict security guidelines and continually adapts its working practices to try to avoid an occurrence like this. Thankfully no one was badly injured but it is very traumatic for those involved."
Chad is currently host to 230,000 refugees from neighboring Darfur, and 170,000 internally displaced people, putting increasing pressure on its own local scarce resources. Levels of banditry and lawlessness continue to escalate in this remote and isolated region making the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid difficult at best.
Penny Lawrence said,
"The threat of attack is emotionally and financially a heavy burden for those who work in the region and increases the difficulties of working in what is already a very challenging environment. Action by the international community is urgently needed to ensure the protection of civilians living and working in northern Chad whether they are from Darfur, Chad or from the wider international community working on humanitarian aid."
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