US Agency for International Development
Sudan: Darfur - Humanitarian Emergency Fact Sheet #5 (FY 2005)
29 October 2004


Note: This report updates fact sheet #4, dated October 22, 2004.

DARFUR EMERGENCY - NUMBERS AT A GLANCE    SOURCE

Conflict-Affected Persons in
Darfur and Eastern Chad More than 2 million people    U.S. Government,
European Union, and
             United Nations

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
in Darfur   1.6 million people      U.N. Office for the Coordination of
             Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Sudanese Refugees in Eastern
Chad  200,000 people    U.N. High Commissioner for
             Refugees (UNHCR)

Conflict-Affected Persons in
Darfur Receiving Food Assistance    1.3 million people during September
U.N. World Food Program (WFP)


Crude Mortality Rates (CMR) (1) and
Under-five Mortality Rates
(U5MR)2 for Darfur      North Darfur - 1.5 CMR; 2.5 U5MR
       West Darfur - 2.9 CMR; 3.1 U5MR
       Kalma Camp (South Darfur) - 3.8
       CMR; 11.7 U5MR    Preliminary data from the U.N. World
             Health Organization (WHO)

Total FY 2004 - 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance to Darfur: $224,341,434
Total FY 2004 - 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance to Eastern Chad:
$75,672,072
Total FY 2004 - 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance for the Darfur Emergency:
$300,013,506
Total FY 2003 - 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance for the Darfur Emergency:
$302,085,080



CURRENT HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Humanitarian Access

According to the October 26 Situation Report from the U.N. Office of the 
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, insecurity and restrictions on 
humanitarian access continue to impede the delivery of food and other 
assistance. In North Darfur, the Kebkabiya-Tawila, El Fasher - Mallit - Malha, 
and the El Fasher-Um Kaddada roads remain closed for U.N. operations. In 
addition, commercial trucks and NGO vehicles have been reportedly stopped and 
harassed on the road between Um Kadada and En Nahud, near El Fasher. In South 
Darfur, some U.N.operations are suspended due to closure of the Kass-Nertiti 
and Nertiti-Zalengei roads.

On October 28, the U.N. Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) 
reported that the situation in Darfur has not improved much during the last 
month and attributed much of the recent violence to opposition groups, Sudan 
Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). 
As a result of the violence, humanitarian access to many areas remains 
restricted.

Peace Negotiations

The second round of African Union (AU)-led talks between the Government of 
Sudan (GOS) and the SLM/A and JEM, aimed at resolving the Darfur crisis, 
resumed in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 25. However, international media sources 
report that proceedings have been complicated by the SLM/A and JEM refusal to 
sign a "humanitarian protocol" for the protection of displaced civilians 
without first receiving security guarantees from the GOS. In addition, two new 
factions have emerged in Darfur which are not signatories of the April 8 
humanitarian ceasefire agreement between the GOS and the JEM and SLM/A.

Protection

The planned expansion of the African Union (AU) monitoring force in Darfur to 
3,320 troops and civilian police began on October 28 with the U.S. 
Government-sponsored airlift of 47 Nigerian troops. Additional troops from 
Nigeria as well as from Rwanda, Gambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, and 
Algeria are also expected to deploy in the coming months. On October 25, the 
European Union (EU) announced plans to provide $100 million to support the 
expanded AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur. In addition, the U.K. has pledged 
$25 million to support the AU force. According to the State Department, the USG 
has committed approximately $20.6 million to support the AU peacekeeping 
mission in Darfur. The AU estimates that costs for expanded operations in 
Darfur will total $221 million for one year.

On October 25, IOM reported that the U.N., IOM, and the GOS reached an 
agreement on implementing procedures for the Management and Coordination 
Mechanism (MCM) on the Voluntary Return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), 
established by the memorandum of understanding signed between the GOS and IOM 
on August 21.

Health and Nutrition

On October 26, WFP released results from a Darfur-wide nutrition and food 
security assessment, which was conducted in collaboration with the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other U.N. agencies, and NGOs, with 
support from several GOS ministries.

WFP's survey confirmed high rates of malnutrition, poor health indicators, and 
widespread food insecurity among IDPs and vulnerable populations surveyed in 
Darfur. Although food assistance was reaching 70 percent of the 1.45 million 
IDPs and 20 percent of residents in conflict-affected areas at the time of the 
survey, global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates for children under the age of 
five were 21.8 percent3. In addition, WFP reported that the prevalence of 
diarrhea among children was 40 percent, and acute respiratory infection was 18 
percent. The assessment team recommended full general rations for 94 percent of 
IDPs and supplementary feeding for all children under five and all pregnant and 
lactating women.

Food Assistance

Due to insecurity and the loss of some implementing partners, WFP reported that 
food distribution has not occurred in several areas of North and South Darfur. 
In October, WFP distributions in South Darfur reached more than 48,000 IDPs in 
the El Daein area and approximately 29,000 IDPs in Mershing. The International 
Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) recent assessment of the food supply and 
agriculture situation in 20 villages throughout Darfur indicated that conflict 
and rain shortfalls have undermined communities' coping mechanisms. ICRC 
predicted ongoing food shortages for rural residents through the 2005 harvest. 
As a result, ICRC plans to continue assistance to rural residents who have not 
been displaced but are not receiving assistance from agencies in Darfur. In an 
effort to prevent displacement of this population to IDP camps, ICRC is 
currently distributing food to 20,450 rural households (109,193 beneficiaries).

Refugees in Chad

On October 26, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that 
depleting water supplies in Eastern Chad, particularly in Iridimi camp near 
Iriba, are a serious concern. The 15,000 refugees at the camp are currently 
receiving an estimated 6 to 10 liters per person per day, below the Sphere 
standard of 15 liters per person per day. UNHCR is meeting with local officials 
to consider immediate alternatives to water shortages in the region, including 
trucking water into camps, relocating refugees to other camps, and drawing 
water from new sites.

According to WFP, a break in the food pipeline is likely to occur in November 
due to delays in the arrival of some food commodities. In response, WFP may 
issue a 15-day ration rather than a 30- day ration to affected populations. WFP 
expects the food pipeline will be full between December 2004 and March 2005.


Notes:

1 According to WHO, the emergency threshold for crude mortality is 1 death
   per 10,000 people per day.
2 According to WHO, the emergency threshold for under-five mortality is 2
   deaths per 10,000 children under five per day.
3 The GAM emergency threshold is 15 percent per U.N. World Health
   Organization guidelines.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -