لحـظـة مـن فضـلك!

Quote: Hope is dwindling in Darfur. The vicious three-year conflict in western Sudan is spreading. The janjaweed horsemen have begun targeting children as they sweep across the countryside, killing raping and burning villages. Humanitarian groups can no longer reach thousands of victims. Peace agreements are wantonly broken. "The situation is pretty gloomy to be honest," said Emmanuel Isch of World Vision, who has just returned from the region. "At this stage, I'd have to say things are likely to get worse before they get better. But we can't give up or we will be accountable for what happens." Seldom have the signals coming from Darfur been so unremittingly grim. · The United Nations has evacuated its staff from El Fasher, its northern operations centre, as the fighting intensifies. It is warning other humanitarian groups to be ready to leave quickly. · UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, who steps down tomorrow, says the area is in "free fall." He counts Darfur as one of the greatest tragedies of his tenure. · Human rights groups are sounding the alarm that another genocide, like the one that took place in Rwanda in 1994, is in progress. The death count has already exceeded 200,000. · Weary survivors, who have been living in "temporary" relief camps for three years, wake up every morning to streams of traumatized people seeking refuge. "We have to be optimistic, otherwise we might as well pack our bags and do something else," Isch said determinedly. "But the situation has gotten worse in the last few months." Until recently, World Vision had been spared much of the violence experienced by other aid organizations. Its camps in South Darfur (there are three provinces: North Darfur, West Darfur and South Darfur) were considered relatively secure. But lately, the militiamen have been moving closer, staff members have been abducted and emergency vehicles have been hijacked. So far, none of its workers have lost their lives. Conditions permitting, the charity will increase its efforts to provide clean water to villagers and those fleeing the conflict. It has just received a $400,000 grant from the Canadian government, which it will top up with $133,000 from its donors. "Children and their families in Darfur must receive the basics for survival," Isch said. Like almost everyone else who goes to Darfur seeking answers — or at least promising glimmers — he came back with few. Although humanitarian groups are building fragile alliances between ethnic leaders at the local level so food can be distributed and seeds can be planted, an overall political settlement seems far off. Isch flew to New York on his return to brief Canada's UN ambassador, John McNee, about conditions in Darfur, then shared his insights with his counterparts at other relief organizations. He delivered three basic messages: 1.) Donors, global diplomats and politicians must dig deeper and try harder to find a way to protect the innocent civilians whose government has turned its back — and in some cases its weapons — on them. 2.) Last May's peace agreement is doing more harm than good. It led Darfurians to believe the world would stop the killing. Now they see no end to their nightmare. The accord must either be enforced or replaced. 3.) In the short term, the African Union peacekeeping force must be beefed up so camps are secure and emergency supplies can get through. Canada, Isch says, has been responsive to the crisis. "There's always more that could be done, but we have been engaged as a country." It is clear, however, that humanitarian aid and support for the African Union peacekeeping force — which account for the bulk of Canada's $230-million commitment — aren't going to be enough. What is required is international action. And so far the UN Security Council has failed to come up with a workable plan. "I think it is more than sad to see grown men with jackets and ties like me sit and quarrel while women and children are dying," Egeland said in his farewell speech to the 15-member body. It would be easy to lose heart, Isch acknowledges. After three years, the bloodshed is still escalating. The Sudanese government appears impervious to outside pressure. Even delivering emergency relief is dangerous. But when he thinks of the dusty camps he just visited, the aid workers risking their lives and the children who deserve a future, he draws a simple conclusion: Quitting is not an option.