Tag: Conflict & Emergencies

It has been ten years since the Darfur conflict erupted and millions fled their homes in the countryside for the safety of towns and camps. If you do not live in Sudan, it is understandable if you think the problem resolved itself long ago. But if you could come with me to Darfur, the land where I grew up, you would quickly see that it has not.

On St Valentine’s evening, the families of Aya and Mohammed gathered in a tiny prefabricated building in Jordan’s Zaatari camp,  a vast sprawling place in the desert housing an estimated 90,000 refugees who fled Syria, and agreed on their engagement.

Aya, 17, and Mohammed, 21 are cousins and both originally from Daraa, in Syria.  

Political disputes have delayed a peace deal that could potentially affect millions of lives. As attention on the crisis in eastern DRC wanes, the humanitarian situation remains dire. We must ensure that this golden opportunity for peace is not lost for ever.

Caroline Baudot, humanitarian policy advisor, describes her experiences working with Oxfam in camps in Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger, hosting refugees fleeing Mali's conflict.