Driving a UN food aid truck in Darfur cost Mohamed Ali his life.
He was shot dead recently trying to deliver supplies for the World Food Programme (WFP).
It’s a dangerous job shown by the 45 hijackings so far this year on WFP lorries in the Sudanese region and the fact that 23 of Mohamed’s colleagues are missing.
It seems hardly a day goes by without some new report of violence or atrocity in Darfur.
The five-year conflict that has claimed 200,000 lives and displaced 2.2 million people shows no signs of abating.
Any optimism about a recent peace agreement between the Sudanese and Chadian governments quickly evaporated just hours later amid reports of Sudanese forces crossing the border into Chad.
Progress
Insecurity continues to have a major bearing on the work of Tearfund and our partner the Fellowship for African Relief (FAR).
There are some rural areas where it is too dangerous to travel because of hijackings, so FAR’s vehicle is off the road. The only safe way to move around is by hopping aboard helicopters run by the WFP.
Life is undoubtedly tough for people living in Darfur but Tearfund is making progress thanks to the financial and prayer support of the global church.
Tearfund is funding schemes where displaced people are provided with tools, equipment, seeds and know-how so that they can grow their own food.
If you go to the market at Beida you will see the benefits. FAR’s help has increased vegetable production with the knock-on effect that the price of produce has stabilised.
Empowered
Women are being empowered by receiving training in farming skills and being taught new ways of generating income for their families.
Beneficiaries seem pleased with FAR’s life-enhancing efforts.
`All the training from FAR is useful,’ one sheik told a visiting Tearfund staff member recently.
`We are happy with FAR and the activities of FAR speak for themselves,’ said another.
Talk to some Darfuris and there’s even some optimism about peace because of a new international force.
The best hope of better security lies with UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur), the new international peacekeeping force, which was deployed in January to bring stability in this long-running conflict.
It’s 17,000 personnel short of its full strength and that’s impacting on its effectiveness, yet in places it’s making its presence felt.
For example, the road between Mesterai and Kango Haraza has been effectively closed for two years because it was so dangerous but now UNAMID is patrolling it and trying to open it up to other traffic.
• Please pray for ongoing UN and African Union efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the conflict.
• Pray for the leaders of regional government and rebel groups in this process.
• Pray for the safety of Tearfund and FAR staff and that they can continue to be effective in serving the communities of Darfur.
• Pray that Tearfund and FAR will be able to benefit from the efforts of UNAMID and increase access to project sites and improve protection for the beneficiaries.
• Pray that new seeds arrive in time for the vital rains in July.