Helping the People of Darfur

The starvation and brutalization, some call it genocide, of the people of Darfur hasn't been a secret for some time. With the help of modern technology the world has stood watch over what seems another impossible catastrophe that is taking lives and destroying futures. This tragedy while not the result of powerful winds or raging water leaves the same results, death, destruction and people without hope. The truth is there are many Americans, many people around the world , who have been deeply touched by the injustice they have seen and frustrated by how difficult it seems to act to save the people of Darfur. These non-profits, working amidst fearful and dangerous conditions continue to do the work of human compassion. Through them we all can help.

1.Food for the Hungry. The problem in Darfur is actually many problems. There are elements of a civil war, a famine, an exodus, a gigantic relocation and the massive separation of families. There really isn't much good going on in Darfur. With problems so large and numerous, it takes more than one organization to attempt to save the people of Darfur. That's why Food for the Hungry has united with a number of humanitarian relief organizations which have pooled their efforts to form the Darfur Relief Collaboration.

Their efforts are aimed at helping the people not only to eat but also to survive the ravages of diseases that often accompany mass movements of impoverished people. With more than 2.2 million people displaced from their homes Darfur is facing major feeding, medical and sanitation problems that have grabbed the attention of Food for the Hungry and its collaborators. Together they have concentrated on building wells, utilizing hand pumps and constructing some 1,000 pit latrines. Currently the collaborative is responsible for the well being of some 90,000 people.

You can find out more about Food for the Hungry , what it is doing in Darfur and how you can contribute by checking the website at www.fh.org.

2.Oxfam America - This non-profit prides itself not just on answering the call from the sites of international emergencies but also putting people into the field to teach those in third world countries to begin to better provide for themselves. Certainly Oxfam recognizes that efforts need to be made around the world to help impoverished and starving people to live, but then quickly efforts must also be made to help them to learn to feed and care for themselves .

Oxfam has a history of involvement in the country of Sudan for more than 20 years. It's involvement in fact is the largest of all its overseas efforts. There are today more than1,000 national and international staffers working to help the suffering people of Darfur. These efforts have reached and helped to meet the needs of some 508,000 people afflicted by this multi faceted civil war.

Oxfam workers have centered some of their efforts on providing access to clean and safe drinking water. Oxfam has also provided buckets, blankets and jerry cans for transporting water from wells to make shift dwellings. Oxfam has also extended its assistance to the people of Darfur who have left Sudan seeking safety and survival across the border in the country of Chad. Oxfam workers are present in Djabal, a camp for those torn from homes that have now been destroyed.

To lend your assistance to these efforts for helping the people of Darfur and to learn more about the work of Oxfam contact the website at www.oxfam.org.

3. Catholic Relief Services. In 1943 Catholic Bishops approved the establishment of an international relief organization to be known as Catholic Relief Services. In the ensuing 60 years the organization has grown until today it is operational on 5 continents and in 99 nations. The goal is always to reach the needs of people as part of the Gospel call to service to the poor.

In Darfur today CRS finds itself centered in the capital of West Darfur at El Geneina. Their its efforts have been directed to providing food to a needy population and helping to manage nearby refugee camps. The Catholic Relief Service has also been helpful in acting as a food distribution conduit for the World Food Program. In its work CRS reaches some 150,000 refugees in West Darfur each month.

Also of assistance to those suffering in Darfur are family kits distributed by CRS to help meet the non-food needs of those separated from homes and families. These kits include cooking utensils, soap, blankets, sheeting for shelters, sanitary supplies and clothing. Helping with the universal need to dig and work wells is also part of the ongoing work done by CRS staff.

For more information about CRS, its efforts in Darfur or how you can help the people of Darfur contact the website at www.crs.org.

4. International Red Cross When Americans think of relief organizations they often think first of the Red Cross. It's symbol has come to mean help and hope to suffering people around the world.

The International Red Cross has been active in Darfur since 1978, but since the civil war began in 2003 it has stepped up its operation and staffing to a record high. In 2007 there were 1,960 International Red Cross staffers present . This number is dwarfed by the number of people depending on them for assistance, which is close to a half million.

The International Red Cross works in refugee camps, villages and nomad camps. Everywhere the effort is the same, to provide food, water, shelter and especially security for this devastated slice of humanity. More than any other humanitarian group the International Red Cross takes on the problem of providing security not just for the refugees in their camps but also for the safety of other humanitarian workers on site.

Today the efforts by the International Red Cross continue and form the single largest operation under Red Cross care. They also continue to serve as the gold standard for what international humanitarian assistance should attempt to do and provide.

For more information about how you can help the people of Darfur through the International Red Cross visit www.icrc.org.

We can't all go to Darfur to help, but we can all make use of and donate to the established humanitarian agencies to help get the job done.