CRS urges immediate US action on Sudan crisis

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August 2004

Legislative briefs from USCCB
CRS urges immediate US action on Sudan crisis

CRS urges immediate US action on Sudan crisis
Catholic Relief Services has issued the following action alert on the Sudan/Darfur crisis:

URGE THE ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS TO CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS TO BRING AN END TO THE CRISIS IN DARFUR, SUDAN

WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT: The humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan is now affecting some 2.2 million people. Approximately 1.2 million people are displaced inside Sudan and an estimated 180,000 refugees have fled into neighboring Chad. Tens of thousands of people have died. At the same time, humanitarian relief efforts in the region have been hampered due to limited access to affected areas. If conditions do not improve, experts project that 300,000 people may be dead by year's end due to lack of security, insufficient relief supplies and personnel to distribute them, as well as the looming rainy season-a factor that makes relief efforts very difficult.

To date, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has pledged $1 million in private funds to assist the large numbers of refugees and displaced people, and is also supporting refugee camps for Sudanese in neighboring Chad. CRS President Ken Hackett and Most Reverend John Ricard, SSJ, Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee and Chairman of the International Policy Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are traveling to Darfur this week to assess the situation firsthand. CRS is preparing to significantly expand its humanitarian assistance work into the Darfur region in the upcoming weeks.

BACKGROUND: Years of clashes between Arab nomadic tribes and black African ethnic groups in Darfur came to a head in February 2003 when two rebel groups, the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLMA/A) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), took up arms against the Sudanese government claiming unjust treatment by the government over land and resources with their Arab neighbors. In response, the Government of Sudan, along with a government-backed militia known as the Janjaweed, have undertaken systematic attacks against villages. Attacks linked to the two rebel groups reportedly include aerial bombardments, burning of buildings and crops, widespread killings, rapes of women and children, and looting.

In July, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan visited the region and held high level talks with the Sudanese government. They produced concrete steps the Sudanese government must take to disarm the Janjaweed, provide access for humanitarian relief and bring an end to the conflict.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: CRS encourages the U.S. Catholic community to join us in our call for immediate international action to prevent catastrophic loss of life in Darfur and among the refugees in Chad. Here's how you can help:

1. Please call President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and your members of Congress to thank them for their efforts to bring the Darfur crisis to an end. Please also encourage them to continue their work on this issue and emphasize the following:

• Our great appreciation for efforts by President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell to address the crisis in Darfur as well as the $95 million Congress recently approved to fund humanitarian relief in the region.

• Urge them to consider the United Nations (UN) appeal for additional funds to adequately address the great need of the affected population. The UN recently stated that their appeal for funding is some $350 million short.

• Urge them to stand ready to provide logistical, financial, and other support to the African Union team put in place to monitor the ceasefire. Also, encourage them to expand their protection forces that safeguard civilians and humanitarians workers.

For your elected officials' contact information, please visit our Grassroots Action Center on the CRS website at www.catholicrelief.org/actioncenter.cfm, and click on "Elected Officials." You may also call Tina Rodousakis, at 1-800-235-2772, ext. 7462, or send a message directly from our Grassroots Action Center!

2. Forward this action alert to your family, friends, and fellow parishioners by visiting www.catholicrelief.org/actioncenter.cfm and clicking on TELL-A-FRIEND!

3. Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Darfur and Chad, for a prompt end to the conflict, and for lasting peace and stability in the region

4. Contribute to CRS' efforts to expand our response in Darfur. Visit our website at www.crs.org to make a gift today!

For further information contact:
Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462; trodousa@catholicrelief.org

Kathy Brown, Community Engagement Director, 1-800-235-2772 x 7232; kbrown@catholicrelief.org

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