Darfur Faces Another Food Emergency

Caritas' staff is warning of another looming disaster, putting the high-risk at even higher risk. From Zenit:

According to U.N. agencies present in the area, over the next two months more than 3.5 million people will need urgent food aid throughout the region -- 25% more than last year.

"Darfur is on the brink of a critical situation," warned Anthony Mahony, an expert in humanitarian operations for British Caritas.

"Since the last rainy season, we have still not been able to restock our food reserves, while the number of people who need food continues to increase," he said. "People are at the limit of their endurance and after several months of living in refugee camps in extreme conditions, and the lack of food might be fatal for many of them over the next months."

Poor access roads to the refugee camps have stifled the work of humanitarian agencies, which have not been able to supplement their food reserves in view of the forthcoming rainy season. The coming rains are expected to worsen the situation.