U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
DARFUR - Humanitarian Emergency
Fact Sheet #25, Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
March 18, 2005


Note: This report updates fact sheet #24, dated March 11, 2005.

DARFUR EMERGENCY - NUMBERS AT A GLANCE    SOURCE

Conflict-Affected Persons in  2.61 million people  U.N. Office for the
   Coordination of  Darfur and Eastern Chad  Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)  1.85 million people   OCHA in Darfur
Sudanese Refugees   193,000 people in camps  U.N. High Commissioner for
in Eastern Chad  Refugees (UNHCR)
Conflict-Affected Persons in  1.6 million people during February  U.N.
World Food Program (WFP)
Darfur Receiving Food Assistance  1.2 million people during January

Total FY 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance for the Darfur Emergency (to
date)  $333,249,865

Total FY 2003 - 2005 USG Humanitarian Assistance for the Darfur Emergency
$591,695,545


CURRENT HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

USG Site Visit

- On March 13 and 14, U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Sudan David Kaeuper
traveled to El Fasher, North Darfur, to witness firsthand the humanitarian
situation.  The Charge visited Abu Shouk and Zam Zam internally displaced
person (IDP) camps, met with USAID/OFDA partners CHF International and the
International Rescue Committee (IRC), and observed a milling program and a
primary health care facility.  In addition, the Charge met with the wali
(governor) and local government officials.

Security

- According to the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART),
due to a recent increase in banditry and attacks on humanitarian vehicles
in West Darfur, U.N. and most non-governmental organization (NGO) staff
have withdrawn from areas of operation in West Darfur to the state capital
of Geneina pending U.N. security assessments of the major surrounding
roads.  The

U.N. reported on March 17 that some international NGOs have started to
return to areas outside of the town, but have not yet returned to
locations north of Geneina.

- The U.N. reported on March 13 that it is requiring its staff to travel
in three-vehicle convoys instead of the normal requirement of two vehicles
along the Nyala to Zalingei road as an additional precautionary measure.
The route had been declared a 'no go' area but was cleared for U.N.
movement on March 9.


Humanitarian Access

- According to the USAID/DART, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A)
humanitarian interlocutor in North Darfur has been unreachable since March
7.  As a result, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) and relief agencies have been unable to notify SLM/A forces
of relief missions scheduled in SLM/A territory.  The U.N. reported on
March 17 that food distribution in Malha was delayed due to the absence of
the SLM/A interlocutor.

IDP Relocations

- According to the USAID/DART, humanitarian agencies continue to work with
the Government of Sudan (GOS) Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to assess
potential sites for the voluntary relocation of IDPs from the overcrowded
camps in Abu Shouk, North Darfur, and Kalma, South Darfur.

- At Abu Shouk camp, the U.N. reported that humanitarian agencies have
abandoned Bisharia as a possible site for the relocation of the
approximately 25,000 IDPs currently located in the camp. Water quality
tests conducted by UNICEF at Bisharia revealed high percentages of
nitrate, making the water unfit for human consumption.  The U.N. reported
on March 13 that humanitarian organizations are reconsidering Sawalinga, a
site that had been rejected due to lack of water.  Humanitarian agencies
are installing pipes and pumps to transport water from the wadi (river
bed) that serves Abu Shouk camp.


Health

- According to the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), a field
assessment is currently underway in Kalma camp to investigate the source
of a bloody diarrhea outbreak that continues in Kalma camp despite efforts
to improve water and sanitation services and regular hygiene promotion
campaigns.  According to the U.N., rising temperatures and water shortages
in Kalma camp due to insufficient trucking capacity may have contributed
to recent increases in diarrhea and Hepatitis E, as well as increases in
therapeutic feeding center admissions.

- The USAID/DART reported on March 17 that there were seven suspected
meningitis cases in North Darfur State during the past week - six in Saraf
Omra and one in El Fasher - including three cases of W135 strain and one
Group A. As three cases were confirmed in one locality, it is the first
time the GOS Ministry of Health (MOH) alert level has been reached during
this meningitis season.  In response, the MOH is developing a vaccination
response plan for North Darfur in coordination with WHO. In 1999, Saraf
Omra was the epicenter of a meningitis outbreak that caused 30,000 deaths
and lead to a mass vaccination across the entire country.


Water and Sanitation

- According to the U.N., water shortages in Abu Shouk camp, North Darfur,
are of increasing concern.  Over the past few weeks humanitarian agencies
have reported higher concentrations of IDPs at water points in the camp.
Some individuals in the camp are reportedly engaged in brick-making
activities, further depleting the already limited water sources.

USG Assistance

- On March 13, the USAID/DART visited Kalma camp to assess USAID/OFDA
programs implemented by CHF.  CHF operates a mat-making program at the
center that provides mats for their USAID-supported shelter program in Zam
Zam camp, North Darfur.  The mat-making activity currently employs 150
women, each of whom make between 2 and 3 mats per day.  CHF also has
mat-making operations in Kalma and Otash camps, and a total of 450 women
are registered in the three locations. CHF aims to produce up to 4,000
mats per week when all centers are fully operational. According to CHF,
they are unable to meet the demand for participation in this
income-generating activity.

Eastern Chad

- No major new refugee influxes from, or returns to, Darfur have been
reported.  As expected, the preliminary results of the recent
UNHCR/WFP/implementing partners re-registration exercise indicate a drop
of approximately 10 percent in the caseload of registered refugees in
camps.  The revised number is 193,100 (down from 213,314).  An additional
estimated 16,000 refugees (down from 18,000) remain in border areas.

- As a result of these findings, WFP and partners have revised downward
the food distribution plan for the month of March to target 193,100
refugees.  For the first time in five months, complete rations will be
provided.  According to WFP, the drop in the caseload is attributed
primarily to Chadians posing as refugees and refugees possessing multiple
ration cards.



U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO DARFUR EMERGENCY IN FY 2005


State/PRM figures do not include un-earmarked Africa-wide contributions to ICRC and UNHCR.
U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO DARFUR EMERGENCY IN FY 2004
Implementing Partner  Activity  Location  Amount

DARFUR, SUDAN


USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE

ARC  Health, Water/Sanitation   South and West Darfur  $1,647,414
ACF  Food Security/Agriculture, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  South Darfur  $1,500,000
CRS  Food Security/Agriculture, Health, Shelter, Water/Sanitation  South and West Darfur  $3,034,357
CARE  Health, Water/Sanitation; Logistics  South Darfur; Darfur-Wide  $2,667,895
Center for Humanitarian Dialogue  Coordination  Darfur-wide  $267,709
Concern  Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  West Darfur  $1,500,000
CHF  Capacity Building, Food Security/Agriculture, Shelter  North and South Darfur  $2,445,182
GOAL  Food Security/Agriculture, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  West Darfur  $2,000,000
IMC  Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  North, South, and West Darfur  $3,199,910
IRC  Coordination, Health, Shelter, Water/Sanitation  North, South, and West Darfur  $4,173,318
Medair  Emergency Relief Supplies  West Darfur  $500,000
MCI  Emergency Relief Supplies, Shelter, Water/Sanitation  South Darfur  $2,901,076
SC/UK  Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  North Darfur  $770,370
SC/US  Health, Nutrition, Shelter, Water/Sanitation  West Darfur  $3,795,804
Tufts University  Research Studies  Darfur-wide  $105,120
UNDP  Capacity Building  Darfur-wide  $300,000
UN FAO  Food Security/Agriculture  Darfur-wide  $1,215,000
UNICEF  Coordination, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation  Darfur-wide  $6,574,830
UNJLC  Coordination, Logistics  Darfur-wide  $650,000
OCHA  Coordination, Information Management  Darfur-wide  $1,250,000
UNSECOORD  Security Officers  Darfur-wide  $900,000
WFP  Flight Operations, Communications, Coordination, Logistics  Darfur-wide  $14,835,000
WHO  Health  Darfur-wide  $500,000
World Vision  Emergency Relief Supplies, Health, Shelter, Water/Sanitation,  South Darfur  $2,270,812
Various  Emergency Relief Supplies  Darfur-wide  $5,627,326
Various  Airlift of Emergency Relief Supplies  Darfur-wide  $4,480,264
Administrative/DART Support  Darfur-wide  $2,549,620

TOTAL USAID/OFDA    $71,661,007

USAID/FFP ASSISTANCE

WFP  118,400 MT of P.L. 480 Title II Emergency Food Assistance  Darfur-wide  $112,912,800

TOTAL USAID/FFP    $112,912,800


USAID/OTI ASSISTANCE

IRC  Protection   North Darfur  $96,205
Halo Partnership  Justice and accountability to Darfuri Diaspora groups  $24,800
Physicians for Human Rights  Research on Sexual Violence  $14,000
American Bar Association  Documentation of violence through interviews with refugees  Eastern Chad  $858,322

2 State/PRM figures do not include un-earmarked Africa-wide contributions
to ICRC and UNHCR.


PUBLIC DONATION INFORMATION

- The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making
cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting
relief operations.  A list of humanitarian organizations that are
accepting cash donations for their humanitarian emergency response efforts
in Darfur, Sudan can be found at www.interaction.org.

- USAID encourages cash donations because they:  allow aid professionals
to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce
the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time,
warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without
transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region;
ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

- More information on making donations and volunteering can be found at:

   - U.S. Agency for International Development:  www.usaid.gov - keyword:
     donations

   - The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or
     703-276-1914

   - InterAction: www.interaction.org -> "How You Can Help"


- Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be
found at www.reliefweb.org


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