The situation in the western Darfur region of Sudan has
been labelled the worst humanitarian crisis in the world
today. A conflict between rebel forces on the one side,
and the Sudanese Government and the governmentbacked
Janjaweed militia on the other, has left between
10,000 and 30,000 people dead. An estimated 1.3
million civilians have been displaced from their homes.
Aid agencies and governments warn of the potential for
a humanitarian catastrophe brought on by famine and
disease, unless urgent action is taken to improve the
security of the civilian population and to provide food
and shelter.
This paper examines the background to the conflict,
and looks at the international response to the
humanitarian crisis. Maps of Sudan and Darfur are
included as appendices. The recent progress made in
resolving the decades-long Sudanese civil war between
the north and south is the subject of a separate Standard
Note, SN/IA/2155, Sudan.
Tim Youngs
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