*Sudan is the place in the world where we, as a humanitarian community, are falling short more than anywhere else in reaching people who need our help* (ref. *) – Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
Where are Oxfam and Save the Children? Where is the appeal on national TV? The British donors are very generous; the aid agencies and NGOs in the UK and EU need to step up to make an appeal to the government and also to the general public so that people can help. The people in Adré, East Chad, are lacking the basic needs to survive: food supply, sanitation, shelters, and medical supplies, as well as clothing as winter is just before us.
The DARFUR Union in the UK is calling on the British government and the international community to take immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis in East Chad. The UN has been sluggish in its response to the crisis. We urge the government to increase funding for humanitarian assistance and to work with the UN and other aid agencies to ensure that refugees have access to the basic necessities of life.
Since the start of the Sudanese crisis, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has counted approximately 1/2 million refugees, while the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported over 52,000 returnees as of September 22. Women and children make up 85% of the refugees, and children under 18 make up 67% of the returnees.
During the reporting period, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) vaccinated 976 refugee children against measles and treated 7,031 children for severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF also provided psychosocial support to 360 children and 378 caregivers (ref. 1). Although more is needed with more people crossing the border to seek refuge. A step up of effort is a must in all fronts to prevent this from evolving to a total catastrophic situation.
The immediate actions are as follows:-
• Increase humanitarian aid to the Sudanese refugees in East Chad
• Work with the UN and other international partners to ensure that the refugees have access to the basic necessities of life
• UK government and international community must put pressure on the warring parties to end the violence in Darfur and in Sudan. To provide the buffer force – Joint Forces made of signees of Peace Agreement in Juba, with an internationally supported mandate and resource protect IDPs and people in the region in Darfur from the Janjaweed and the RSF the main perpetrators of the ongoing war crimes in Darfur.
• Furthermore, NGOs that specialise in education for refugees are much needed, as thousands of children are behind and could do with supplies of educational tools such as books and stationery.
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