Can I help Darfur personally?

Question

is there any organization which will allow me to visit darfur or sudan and help out? Whether it be distributing supplies, feeding the hungry, or just helping with daily life? I want to physically help instead of just donating $?

Answer 1

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke, British-Irish statesman, author, orator, political thinker and philosopher (1729-1797)

GophR12 everyone can help. If you can't give money you can send messages and petitions. See below for links.

More Americans are probably active in trying to save Darfur, such as Bette Midler and George and Nick Clooney - and all credit to them - then Europeans. The European response disgusts me as many African countries are the legacy of colonial rule by France, Belgium, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany. So they should be doing more.

And by the way SUDAN HAS OIL and GAS. Most of it is exported to China. And not surprisingly China have been one of the biggest obstacles in the UN Security Council to doing something to help the poor people of Darfur. SHAME ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

One of the reasons for this gross moral failure is the role of the Media. Last week only one newspaper in the UK, The Independent - and all credit to them - made Darfur front page news with a big special report.

The African Union (AU) is already there with a 7,000 man force, but their mandate ends on 30 September, and the Sudanese Government want them to leave. (I wonder why?) The AU have been there for a few years, but they are BADLY under funded, under equipped and under manned. Yet they have made a HUGE difference just by being there as witnesses to stop and deter rape, murder, and genocide. If they leave, and no UN force replaces them, as George Clooney says there will be a "Blood Bath". If the AU force were properly funded they would be fully effective, and being Africans they would do a far better job then a European UN force. Can you imagine a French force actually getting their hands dirty fighting the Janjaweed militias if necessary.

There are some decent and good African commanders with the experience to take control of the situation. All they need is a real mandate, money, equipment and more men.

It is unfair to criticise the AU force as they come from the poorest countries on earth, such as Rwanda. And secondly they are the ONLY force in town right now.

Ironically the largest AU component is made up of Rwandans, who know a thing or two about Genocide.

The people of Darfur desperately want the AU to stay.

The UN has failed so far, because wealthy countries have WITHHELD both the funding and military support required, and have left the African Union to deploy a token force without a mandate to protect civilians. The lack of World moral and political will to address the political and economic structures that underlie the conflict, and the sad fact that the International Community has defined the Darfur conflict in humanitarian assistance terms, and debated and ignored the "genocide" label while innocent men, women and children are murdered has led to this MORAL CAPITULATION.

Estimates range from 300 to 450,000 Black African men, women and children have been raped and murdered in Darfur in the last 5 years by the Sudanese Arab Muslim Army and Janjaweed Militias in the greatest Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing since Rwanda and Bosnia. But as there are NO records we will never know the true figure. Only from surviving mothers do we learn that so many children have been killed with many families "wiped out". Some of the stories I have read are truly horrific.

6 million people live in Darfur. The Darfurians are descendants of the ancient Nubians and have lived in the Nuba Mountains since Biblical times.

2.5 million Darfurians are in "Refugee Camps" and on the verge of starvation. If the AU leave and no UN force replaces it then the Sudanese Government will use the time honoured Nazi method of starvation and massacre.

The Sudanese Army and Janjaweed Militias are systematically burning villages, and use rape as a weapon against women.

This is ETHNIC CLEANSING pure and simple.

George Clooney has warned the UN Security Council of impending Genocide in Darfur. Clooney said if we don't get a United Nations Humanitarian and Peace Keeping Force (to replace the African Union force) in Darfur soon - we will have another Rwanda on our hands, and the FIRST HOLOCAUST of the 21st century.

Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir, has vowed to fight off UN troops himself, and warned that Sudan would take on UN soldiers "as Hizbollah beat Israeli forces". Omar al-Bashir also said he will use al-Qa'ida insurgents to fight the UN.

Clooney said "After September 30, you won't need the UN. You will simply need men with shovels and bleached white linen and headstones."

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown asks the question:

"Where are the Muslims protesting about Darfur?"

"Where is the shrill outrage when Arab Muslims kill and ethnically cleanse Black African Darfurians from their meagre homes? Why is the anti-African racism of the Arab Sudanese government and militia not damned by Muslims? Where are the perpetually appalled Muslims today?"

The whole sad enormity of this Tragedy makes me want to cry.

We have heard the phrase "NEVER AGAIN" since the Holocaust. But there always seems to be another Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing in the World.

Will we let the Arabs carry on murdering our Black African brothers and sisters in the Darfur?

To paraphrase a constant Arab argument used against Israel: Are a Thousand Black African lives in Darfur worth less than One Arab life?

Will we be watching "Hotel Darfur" in ten years time?

We say "NEVER AGAIN", but are we really just LYING TO OURSELVES?

IS THE WORLD GOING TO LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?

WILL THE HUMAN RACE EAT THE BREAD OF SHAME (those of us who have a conscience) AGAIN?

I PRAY FOR JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR.

STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW.

PS How many people here can I interest in sending a message to George Bush and Kofi Annan to save the people of Darfur?

Goto www.SaveDarfur.org and www.DayForDarfur.org

Have a look around find out whats happening then click on take action to send the message.

If you join it (top right hand corner) then they send you messages about what you can do to help.

An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.
-- Dr Samuel Johnson, English author, poet, critic & lexicographer (1709-1784)

In order that all men may be taught to speak Truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.
-- Dr Samuel Johnson

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

-- Martin Niemöller, German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran Pastor

Answer 2

Look on the American Red Cross website, they help everybody. Perhpaps they information listed.

Whatever you do, be sure it is a reputable non-profit organization.

Answer 3

I would be careful if i was you, because they might eat you.