Aid Workers Under Siege in Darfur
January 23, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Charity workers have been attacked, assaulted, and systematically raped in Darfur as part of an effort to drive international aid groups from regions of Sudan wracked by civil war, reports Newsweek.
Both official Sudanese military units and their enemies—rebels and militiamen vying for control of the country—have been blamed for attacks on Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, and the Red Cross, among other organizations.
Twelve workers have been murdered in six months and hundreds more, most of them Sudanese, have fled violence. Over 200,000 Sudanese have been killed so far, and refugee camps are overflowing.
The aid groups have warned they may be forced to cease operations in the country if the attacks continue.
Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s coverage of relief efforts in Darfur and the challenges faced by charities there.
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