Oxfam America: Conflict in Darfur

Background

While peace has come to south Sudan, where a conflict with the north dragged on for 21 years, the people of Darfur continue to be the targets of militias and other armed groups. About 250,000 people have crossed the border into Chad looking for safety. About 2.5 million others remain homeless in their own land. more »

What Oxfam is Doing

We are providing vital assistance to about 530,000 people affected by the crisis, both in Darfur and in eastern Chad. We provide access to clean water and sanitation services as well as basic necessities such as blankets, soap, and plastic jugs for carrying water. We offer public health education programs to try and prevent the spread of disease. And as the crisis continues, we are implementing projects to provide livelihood opportunities to help people find some alternative to the reliance on external aid. more »

The Current Situation*

It has been nearly five years since the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, broke out in February 2003. There are now more people in need in the region than ever before:

More than 4.5 million people in Darfur and eastern Chad now need humanitarian aid.
Violence has forced 2.5 million Darfur citizens—more than one in three of the region’s population—to flee their homes. More than 2 million of them are now sheltering in camps for internally displaced people inside Darfur. In addition, 250,000 refugees from Darfur are living in camps across the border in neighboring Chad.
In 2007, violence displaced more than 300,000 people in Darfur—some of them for the second, third, and fourth times.
185,000 Chadians have also fled their homes as the conflict has become increasingly regional. The number of Chadians displaced by violence has quadrupled in the past year.

Learn more

* This data is updated periodically as the conflict continues and as new information is made available. Actual numbers may vary.

Feature Stories

	Darfur Video Q & A Oxfam humanitarian staff answer supporters' questions about the ongoing crisis.
	Five Years into the Darfur Conflict, Three Staffers Look Back Oxfam staffers recount achievements and anitcipate challenges as the conflict in Darfur drags on.
	On a High Note, Oxfam Finds New Way to Convey Health Information Using familiar tunes, women sing about how to avoid fatal diseases in a crowded camp for displaced people in Darfur.
	The Lure of Clean Water: Some Displaced Chadians may not Return to Villages The question about returning home is a complex one. In temporary settlements in eastern Chad, displaced people have found some comfort in the new things around them: clean water and access to a large market.
	Expanded Darfur Peacekeeping Force Needs Support of International Community Protection for the people of Darfur and making the region safe are the top priorities of the new force, says Oxfam.
	A Voice from Darfur: A Day in the Life of an 18-year-old at Kalma Camp At Kalma camp in South Darfur, one day passes just like the next for this young woman.
	Oxfam Program Head Reflects on Her Years of Work for Darfur Oxfam's Caroline Nursey reflects on the challenges and accomplishments of one of the largest relief efforts in the world.
More Feature Stories Read more about Oxfam America's work during this crisis.