News - Generous response to Darfur crisis
Source: British Red Cross Society - UK
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The British Red Cross has raised nearly a million pounds
since April for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.The internal conflict, which erupted in 2004, has affected around four million people and caused more than two million to be displaced from their
homes.As the situation showed no sign of improving, the British Red Cross renewed its appeal for Darfur in April. However, the unfolding instability across Darfur and neighbouring Chad
and the Central African Republic led the UK's top international aid charities to join forces under the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to launch a wider
appeal.The DEC appeal closed in June after raising £11.5 million. However, the British Red Cross' Darfur Crisis Appeal remains open. Funds raised this appeal will be used
to support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Darfur.We are very grateful for the generosity of the British publicRos
Armitage, British Red CrossRos Armitage, conflict operations manager at the British Red Cross, thanked the public for its support:"It is fantastic that we have managed to raise such a
significant amount of money in such a short time," she said. "We are very grateful for the generosity of the British public, which is allowing us to continue to provide vital support to people whose
lives have been devastated by this crisis."We are providing funds to the ICRC to buy ploughs, donkey harnesses and seed kits for people in villages to grow watermelon, onions and other crops
during the current planting season.SupportA large sum of the money will support the ICRC's water and sanitation work in Darfur. This covers the repair of water systems in
villages, as well as running 70 per cent of the water system in Gereida camp and the maintenance of around 6,000 latrines. The British Red Cross has one water engineer in Gereida who is
working on the camp water supply and sanitation.The British Red Cross has been working in Gereida camp with the ICRC and the Australian Red Cross since
2004. The camp is now home to about 100,000 people displaced by the conflict. We are continuing to support two feeding centres for malnourished children at the camp, which also received funds from the
DEC appeal. The British Red Cross is also providing medical support to Sudan with anaesthetist Simon Moore joining the flying surgical team next week in Darfur for three months.Read more about our work in DarfurDonate to
British Red Cross Darfur Crisis Appeal
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