Dispatches from Darfur: Caring for the Ones who Care for Others

DARFUR, Sudan — Since the conflict began in the Darfur region of western Sudan in 2003, over 200,000 people have been killed and more than two million have been displaced. Altogether, some 4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and protection.

Violence against civilians, much of it targeted against women, has been an ongoing feature of the conflict. Thousands of women have been raped. Villages have been burned to the ground and destroyed, forcing their inhabitants to flee, often with just the clothes on their backs. With their villages destroyed, many families have lived for years on the run, in informal settlements or in internal refugee camps throughout Darfur. Some of the traumas they have suffered and the difficult issues they deal with on a daily basis are chronicled in the feature stories below.

As happens in times of crisis, the women of Darfur have often become primary caretakers for other survivors. In many cases, their responsibilities have been compounded by the loss of husbands and livelihoods and the need to procure essentials for family survival.

In Darfur, as in other emergencies, the strengths and resilience of women are in high demand. They need to stay strong for the sake of their loved ones. But if women are to look after others, their own safety, dignity, health and nutritional concerns must be met as well.

As part of a coordinated, interagency relief effort, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, addresses the specific needs of women, including maternal and reproductive health and vulnerability to gender-based violence. UNFPA and its humanitarian partners seek to bolster the strength of women by identifying and responding to their particular needs. For instance:

• Because women in emergencies continue to get pregnant and give birth, UNFPA supports  improved care during pregnancy and labour. It also supports treatment for women who have suffered severe injuries during childbirth .
• Because woman and girls are so often the target of sexual violence , UNFPA coordinates prevention efforts and supports sensitive medical and psychosocial services for survivors.
• Because their mobility may be impeded by a lack of sanitary supplies for menstruation, UNFPA provides these and other essentials .
• And because women rely on each other for support and nurturance, UNFPA has established women’s centres – safe havens where uprooted women can learn new skills, discuss issues important to them and decompress from the pressures of camp life .

In August 2007, the Sudanese government endorsed a UN Security Council resolution to send a peacekeeping force of up to 26,000 troops and police under a joint UN and African Union mandate, making the Darfur mission the largest peacekeeping force in the world. For the displaced families of Darfur, a peaceful resolution to the conflict cannot come soon enough.