Over 2.7 million people, mostly farmers and villagers from non-Arab groups, have had to leave their homes due to the ongoing conflict between government and rebel forces. Nearly 5 million people are in need of assistance to survive.
Since the conflict began in 2003, when rebels in Darfur took up arms and accused the government of neglecting the region, the suffering continues every day.
Oxfam started operating in northern Sudan in 1983, and in Darfur alone, Oxfam has provided aid to over 400,000 people since 2003. The assistance includes:
- Emergency supplies such as blankets and plastic sheeting
- Clean drinking water
- Safe latrines, washing facilities and hygiene items such as soap, buckets and jerry cans
- Public health education
- Training on skills and opportunities to gain income
Oxfam Hong Kong has supported programmes in Sudan since 1995. From January 2007 to December 2008, Oxfam Hong Kong contributed HKD 4.1 million for programmes in northern Sudan.