CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
EMERGENCY APPEAL: 2008 DARFUR (SUDAN) HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
January 11, 2008


SITUATION:  The humanitarian crisis in the western Sudanese region of 
Darfur is now entering its fifth year -- becoming, in effect, a 
"chronic" emergency. The United Nations estimates that more than 200,000 
people have been killed or died due to malnutrition and other causes 
attributed to the humanitarian crisis; more than 2.2 million have been 
driven from their homes to live in camps, and nearly 4 million are 
dependent on food aid.  The violence has spread across the border to 
Chad and the risk of a regional conflict is still ever-present.

A joint United Nations/ African Union hybrid force for Darfur begins 
work this year in an attempt to quell the violence and establish the 
conditions for a return to peace.  The initial hopes for this mission 
have given way to a more pessimistic analysis of its chances of success 
as the financial, logistical and bureaucratic obstacles in its path look 
formidable. It may take a considerable time for the force to reach its 
full complement of 26,000 troops.

The year 2007 proved pivotal in the crisis, with large increases in the 
numbers of attacks on aid workers, as well as opportunistic looting of 
aid vehicles and stores.  The year also saw further displacements of 
people from their home areas into camps for the displaced. The situation 
inside the camps has become very difficult, with the population there 
increasingly militant and disaffected after years of confinement and 
disempowerment.  Yet the security situation does not yet auger well for 
the return of displaced people to their former settlements -- which is 
why there is a need for a sustained humanitarian response for 2008 and 
beyond.


RESPONSE: Church World Service is among 60-member organizations 
supporting a joint emergency operation in Darfur by the Action by 
Churches Together (ACT) International alliance and the Caritas 
Internationalis Confederation.

Organized in 2004, the ACT/Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation 
(DERO) program has become one of the largest humanitarian programs in 
South and West Darfur and is recognized by the United Nations and other 
observers as an important component in the international relief 
response, with significant roots in local community structures. CWS 
partner Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) provides the legal basis for the 
operation in Darfur as well as taking lead responsibility for 
procurement and financial management on behalf of the ACT/Caritas 
program in Darfur.

As 2008 begins, DERO recognizes that the humanitarian situation in 
Darfur continues to demand an emergency response. As such, DERO has made 
plans to strengthen its response capacity and to build flexibility into 
its program to enable it to adapt to expected changing circumstances 
during the coming year. Among the plans are developing the capacity of 
Sudanese partners so that they can take a stronger role in the 
management of the DERO program in coming years. Local Sudanese partners 
working as part of DERO include the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC), the 
Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) and Sudanaid (Caritas 
Sudan).

The CWS-supported program in Darfur is operational in six sectors and 
has assisted the following number of direct beneficiaries: water and 
sanitation (233,886); health and nutrition (272,520); emergency 
preparedness and response (150,000); protection, psychosocial and 
peace-building (82,295); agriculture (8,250); and school support 
(27,240). (It is difficult to calculate the overall number of direct 
beneficiaries without counting individuals more than once as they 
benefit from more than one sector of DERO*s work.)

In 2008, the activities will be concentrated largely around Nyala (SUDO, 
Sudanaid, and SCC), Zalingei (ACT/Caritas and SUDO), Garsila 
(ACT/Caritas) and El Dhein (SUDO, Sudanaid). The le vel of activities 
will remain similar to that of 2007.

However, this year CWS-supported work will include a focus on several 
areas of concern. These include:

1) Increasing awareness as well as reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS among 
the communities of displaced and the communities hosting the displaced.

2) Increasing the role of women and heightening awareness of the issue 
of gender in humanitarian response, given that women face increased 
burdens as heads of household, have difficulty accessing healthcare and 
education, and find few economic opportunities. The involvement of women 
in the programs is critical to achieving a full understanding of their 
experiences and particular needs and ensuring that the programs are able 
to address the needs of the majority of beneficiaries.(In addition to 
the burdens they face as displaced persons, rape and sexual violence are 
a widespread result of the conflict and violence. Attacks of women 
within the camps generally occur when women and girls leave the relative 
safety of the camps to gather firewood, food and fodder. The camps 
rarely provide sufficient security to protect women and have 
insufficient services for survivors of sexual violence.)

3) Increasing awareness of environmental concerns in Darfur, given that 
DERO is becoming increasingly aware of the need to monitor the 
quantities of ground water used at large internally displaced persons 
(IDP) settlements and to monitor the level of the water table, in order 
to ensure that water resources are not being unacceptably depleted in a 
local context. This year DERO plans to enhance is commitment to this 
activity by training its staff to measure and record ground water levels 
and by participating in inter-agency ground water monitoring studies. 
There is an increase in pressure for natural resources, particularly in 
and around IDP camps, as these areas are increasingly being cleared of 
firewood. Due to this deforestation one of the activities in the 
agriculture program will involve the planting of 80,000 trees in and 
around the camps.  The DERO partners will consider in all instances 
activities that minimize negative impacts on the environment, for 
example in positioning of boreholes, latrines and other infrastructure.

4) Increasing concern over community empowerment, given that community 
empowerment is essential for sustainable development, operation and 
maintenance of all program activities. Through the DERO program, great 
emphasis continues to be placed on community participation. Community 
members (men, women, boys and girls) are involved in water-point 
management, nutrition centers, environmental health, healthcare and 
other program aspects. A final priority: peace building, with staff 
being trained in "local capacities for peace" principles to incorporate 
peace through conflict sensitive programming.

BUDGET: $13,633,790. That includes $8,759,421 in direct program costs, 
the largest being water and sanitation ($2,414,723); health 
($1,782,715); and emergency preparedness and response ($1,139,212). 
Other areas of concern: education ($726,839), and nutrition ($492,882). 
Support costs include $4,389,665 for personnel, equipment, etc. Indirect 
costs: $484,704, including network management support and indirect costs 
for partners.

SPECIAL NOTE: Please note that in the last year, both CWS and ACT have 
provided a number of resources on the ways the CWS-supported program 
work in Darfur is making a difference in people's lives. To access those 
resources, go to:

www.churchworldservice.org
www.act-intl.org

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be sent to your 
denomination or to: Church World Service, Appeal - Account #641-Y, (2008 
Darfur Humanitarian Response), P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515.

Contributions may also be made by credit card online or by calling: 
(800) 297-1516, ext. 222, or online at http://www.churchworldservice.org


CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151

Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org

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