Caritas Australia - Sudan Situation Update 11 Aug 2005

Excerpt from a report on Darfur by Caritas Australia August 11, 2005:

In July, NATO airlifted over 2,000 additional African Union peacekeepers into Darfur.

On August 4, the U.N. Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) reported that the security situation in Darfur is currently calm, but warned of the potential for spontaneous unrest.

Conflict-Affected Persons in Darfur and Eastern Chad number approx. 2.9 million people (USAID 5 August 05)

There are now 1.85 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur (USAID 5 August 05)

In Eastern Chad 200,000 Sudanese Refugees are living in camps (USAID 5 August 05)

There is a current risk of a locust outbreak in Darfur and neighbouring parts of Chad.

Extensive food distributions are underway. During June 2.1 million people were receiving food aid and food distributions at times have had to be via food drops because of security concerns

Caritas Australia sent approx 1 million Australian dollars directly to Darfur with funds raised through a Special Appeal.
- - -

UN's Sudan troop deployment delayed by visa hitch

August 8 AP report says visa problems are contributing to delays in deploying thousands of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Sudan, the German Foreign Ministry said Monday.
- - -

Three cheers for African Union peacekeepers

On August 8 about 351 Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) were decorated with gold medals for exceptional professionalism, discipline and excellent performance while on their peacekeeping mission in Darfur. Full report at AllAfrica.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Caritas NATO Chad