• Since February 2003, USAID has provided nearly $21.4 million to U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), International Rescue Committee, Medair, Save the Children-United Kingdom and Save the Children-United States for emergency health, water and sanitation, agriculture, food security, shelter, logistics and coordination activities.
• Since October 2003, USAID has provided nearly $82.9 million to the World Food Program for Darfur for 86,700 metric tons of food commodities, including cereals, cooking oil, lentils, peas and beans, and blended foods. USAID has contributed $4.8 million to the World Food Program for Sudanese in eastern Chad, including 7,040 metric tons of mixed commodities already in the region.
• To date, the U.S. Government has provided $109.4 million in humanitarian assistance to Darfur and $25.2 million in humanitarian assistance to eastern Chad. During a June 3rd donor conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Administrator Andrew S. Natsios announced that the U.S. will pledge an additional $188.5 million to Darfur. The U.S. Government, aware that the rainy season will adversely affect the situation in Sudan, announced on June 24th that it will provide $14 million in supplemental funding to western Sudan and to eastern Chad. The U.S. Senate also passed a resolution on June 24th that will send $95 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the region.
• The total U.S. Government assistance to Chad in FY 2004 for the Darfur crisis includes $19.5 million from the U.S. State Department; $14.2 million to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, $2 million to the World Food Program, $400,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and $2.9 million to international NGOs. Moreover, $8.9 million in USAID Food for Peace food assistance and $114,000 from USAID (Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance) will go to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
• Based on the severity of the humanitarian situation in eastern Chad, especially the increasing demand for potable water in both the refugee camps and within towns and villages in eastern Chad, U.S. Ambassador Marc M. Wall declared a disaster in Chad on June 24th. USAID immediately provided $114,000 to improve the surface water during the July to September rainy season for 5,000 vulnerable host-country families (approximately 25,000 people) whose resources and livelihoods have been taxed by the heavy influx of refugee populations.
• On July 6th, USAID’s Food for Peace contributed an additional 4,320 metric tons of humanitarian food assistance valued at $4.1 million to the World Food Program’s emergency programs for Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. This contribution brings the total amount of USAID’s assistance to the World Food Program in Chad to 11,360 metric tons valued at $8.9 million in FY 2004. This constitutes 36.1% of the total program requirements assisting 192,500 Sudanese refugees. Increasing insecurity reported on the road and rail between Ed Da’ein and Nyala has resulted in a serious slowdown of relief food deliveries to South and West Darfur. The United States is prepared to resume airdrops of food on July 15th if necessary.
• As of July 8th, USAID has delivered a total of 9,570 rolls of plastic sheeting, 157,500 blankets, two water purification systems, and 600 water containers via 21 airlifts to Darfur. USAID’s contribution of plastic sheeting will provide shelter for approximately 602,910 beneficiaries. The total value of the commodities provided to date, including transportation costs, is approximately $4.6 million.
• On June 29th, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, accompanied by USAID Administrator Andrew S. Natsios, arrived in Khartoum and met with Sudanese President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir and Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail. Secretary Powell asked the Government of Sudan to rein in the Jingaweit militias accused of massive human rights abuses, allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of Darfur, and commence negotiations with Darfur’s two main opposition movements, the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice Equality Movement. Secretary Powell cautioned that the international community may consider passing a U.N. Security Council resolution to halt the violence if the Government of Sudan fails to follow through on its assurances.
• On June 30th, Secretary Powell and Administrator Natsios traveled to El Fasher, which is in North Darfur. They reviewed humanitarian operations and assessed the conditions on the ground. The delegation met with relief organizations, members of an African Union ceasefire monitoring team, and the governor of North Darfur. The delegation also walked through the Abu Shouk camp, where nearly 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have sought refuge from the Government of Sudan and the Jingaweit militias. USAID’s DART reported that in anticipation of Secretary Powell’s visit, the Government of Sudan removed some IDPs from the camp and inserted approximately 500 people to pose as IDPs and medical personnel.
• Following the meeting with Secretary Powell on June 30th, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ismail announced several measures to address the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Ismail stated that the Government of Sudan planned to send more forces to provide security, ease restrictions on humanitarian operations, and accelerate negotiations with opposition groups. The United States, which considers what is happening in Darfur to be ethnic cleansing, is closely monitoring the situation on the ground to determine if these measures are being implemented.
• Secretary Powell, Administrator Natsios, and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan have stated that the situation in Darfur is ethnic cleansing. They have all encouraged the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution that will place additional pressure on the Government of Sudan to follow through on its assurances to facilitate humanitarian access to Darfur and to stop the violence against innocent civilians.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.

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