A farmer who has to flee his fields before harvest is left with nothing, which is the situation facing thousands of Sudanese farming families living in displacement camps.
Sudanese farmers have fled their land without being able to seed their winter crops, leaving them helpless to support themselves for at least another year.
“It’s a very, very desperate situation,” said Willy Reimer of the Mennonite Central Committee, or MCC. He recently toured the Darfur region of southwestern Sudan.
“The people in these camps have nothing.”
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Canadian aid groups are joining those from many countries to stave off a humanitarian disaster in western Sudan. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank recently sent some officials to survey the situation.
Reimer toured the area to assess what the MCC could do to alleviate the problems of the displaced people, who have fled violent attacks by government-supported militia groups.
“A lot of work needs to be done quickly in the next few weeks,” said Reimer.
The people need both food and shelter. Many people are living with no cover from the rainy season, which when combined with malnutrition makes them susceptible to diseases.
For $135, a plastic-roofed shelter can be erected to house a family of seven to nine people, Reimer said.
Raising money for these and getting the shelters to the camps is one of the MCC’s priorities.
It is also sending a $4.5 million food aid shipment to Darfur through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a charitable organization that raises money and crops from farmers to provide food aid around the world.
Reimer said the people in the camps want to return to their land, but are afraid.
“We need safety. We need security. People need to know they are safe to go back,” said Reimer.
The displaced people are black African farmers. They have been attacked by Arab militias from a nomadic herding culture. Recent droughts have put pressure on water sources and pastures, sparking the conflict.
Many aid agencies believe the Sudanese government is supporting and arming the Arab militias.
Reimer said this recent conflict in Darfur has already scarred a new generation of young victims. He visited a school in one displacement camp where the violent attack haunts the children.
