El Fasher, Sudan 26 Apr 2005 - One year after beginning emergency relief operations in Darfur, Sudan, the IRC continues to expand and adapt its programs to save lives and relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of women, men and children uprooted by the ongoing violence in the province.
The IRC currently works in both government and rebel-held areas of Darfur, providing assistance to displaced families and local war-affected communities alike, a crucial element in supporting an eventual return to peace in the region. By partnering with the broader community in Darfur to identify needs and develop solutions, the IRC is able to adjust its relief efforts appropriately and focus them where they are most urgently required.
IRC shelter, water and sanitation and health teams have come up with new ways to meet the needs of vulnerable people living in one of the harshest and most insecure environments on Earth. Among these:
- We designed a dome-shaped emergency shelter that is easy for families to put up and customize for their needs and that stands up to Darfur’s high winds, sandstorms and intense rains. These “IRC shelters” have become a standard design used by aid agencies in the region. More than 23,000 of them have been distributed in North Darfur alone.
- We developed new ways to improve long-term access to water in rebel-held areas of North Darfur, including modifying the traditional design of wells to protect them from collapse during flooding. We have also created designs for cement water tanks that are easier to build and harder to destroy than the elevated steel tanks now in use. We have shared these with our partner agencies in the region.
- When high illiteracy among families in the Abu Shouk camp hindered accurate registration for measles prevention programs, the IRC partnered with traditional community leaders to help identify children who needed follow-up vaccinations. Since the new system was put in place, far fewer children have missed out on their full course of vaccinations.
The International Rescue Committee has been providing humanitarian assistance in Sudan since 1981 with extensive programs throughout the country. The IRC is one of largest humanitarian organizations operating in Darfur.
