The Role of the International Community in Darfur, Sudan

Despite the negotiation of a humanitarian ceasefire, an estimated 2.2 million people are at risk in Darfur, Sudan, as a result of armed conflict, forced displacement and projected famine and disease. The United Nations has called the situation in Darfur the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, but it has yet to be the focus of a single Security Council resolution.

At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa today, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that if attacks on civilians were not stopped and unobstructed humanitarian access granted immediately, the Darfur crisis threatened to destabilize the region.

The Migration Policy Institute is pleased to announce the release of our July 2004 policy brief “How Many People Have to Die Before We Care?” The Role of the International Community in Darfur. Written by Erin Patrick, Associate Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, the brief provides a background to the conflict and humanitarian situation in Darfur and addresses the question of whether or not the situation in Darfur amounts to –or is in the process of becoming—genocide. It also examines the response (and lack of response) of the United Nations and the international community in general and gives detailed policy recommendations on how to move forward. Some recommendations include:

· Continued high-level diplomatic pressure
· Implementation of a no-fly zone over all of Darfur, with clear penalties for violation.
· Extending protection beyond just the camps and relief convoys
· Beginning real preparations for possible humanitarian intervention

Click here to download this policy brief.