As of July 1 nearly half of DPs in Darfur had not received food assistance

Aug 9: International Medical Corps (IMC) has a rapid response team in Darfur, and is coordinating with the UN and other agencies to meet the most immediate and basic human needs, such as food, shelter, clean water, sanitation and health care.

The gaps in coverage are tremendous. Of the one million displaced persons and 200,000 residents of host communities in Darfur, it is estimated that nearly half had not received food assistance, non-food items or shelter materials as of July 1; 62% had no access to clean water; 87% lived in areas without proper sanitation; and 63% lacked access to primary health care. In addition, 80% of children under five had no access to treatment for malnutrition.

Beyond the staggering number of people in need of assistance, accessibility is a major issue. Sudan is roughly one quarter the size of the United States, yet it has just one one-thousandth the miles of paved highways. As of July 1, the displaced were scattered across more than 80 makeshift camps in an area approximately the size of France, wide stretches of which are either partially or totally inaccessible during the June to September rainy season. As a result, delivering supplies often requires using airplanes, devouring funds that would otherwise be used to staff clinics or purchase medicines.