Darfur: Overview

Darfur, a region in western Sudan roughly the size of Texas, is widely recognized as one of the worst humanitarian crises today. The conflict, which started in 2003, has led to the displacement of 2.7 million people, 300,000 of whom have fled into refugee camps in eastern Chad, where food, water, health care, and other critical resources are often scarce. Despite the signing of a north-south peace agreement in 2005 and a relatively peaceful secession of South Sudan in July 2011, the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate, as outbreaks of violence claim even more lives and force people to flee their homes. While some voluntary, organized returns of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original communities have begun, many are doubtful of what they will face upon their return in terms of land, security, and basic services.

Despite these challenges, International Medical Corps has continued to work in Darfur for the last eight years, providing primary health care, maternal and child health, nutrition, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, and capacity-building programs. International Medical Corps currently has 293 national staff and 17 expatriate staff implementing $13.2 million in programming throughout the region, serving approximately 500,000 people, 75 percent of whom are internally displaced by civil conflict and ongoing violence. In addition to direct services, International Medical Corps also invests in local health professionals and national staff through training and education, so that there is a continuity of care and a foundation for long-term recovery.

More about our work in Darfur