CCF Offers Assistance for Victims of Sudan Violence
Life in Darfur is characterized by extreme violence. Fighting
between non-Arab African rebel groups and the Arab 'Janjaweed' militias
continues to claim the lives of civilians in Darfur and create a refugee
crisis in neighboring Chad.
In late 2004, Christian Children's
Fund conducted a large-scale Child Protection assessment in Chad refugee
camps to identify the needs of women and children affected by the
militia violence. CCF discovered protection concerns and real need for basic
services and psychosocial well-being interventions.
Refugees are coping
with profound losses. They've seen livelihoods destroyed, witnessed the deaths
or abductions of loved ones, sustained injuries in bombings, and women and
girls physically assaulted and raped. Those fortunate enough to reach the
safety of camps suffer harsh living conditions, poor nutrition and the risk of
serious disease.
CCF was recently awarded two UNICEF
grants, to support the relief and recovery of Sudanese refugees. The
first will be used to respond to the specific needs of children affected by
the Darfur crisis. With this grant, CCF will create protective environments
that offer psychosocial support to more than 29,000
children.
The second grant will be dedicated toward the
creation of a support network for women and girls who have survived
gender-based violence in Sudan.
Support for Survivors of
Gender-Based Violence
As refugees settle into life in the camps,
stories of abuse are surfacing, including the systematic rape and violence of
women and girls by Janjaweed and government forces. Studies, such as
Amnesty International's "Sudan, Darfur, Rape as a Weapon of War,"
document sexual assaults, public dehumanization, humiliation and rape
in front of a victim's own family
Using UNICEF grant funds, CCF
will create programs in Chad to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and
address the psychosocial, medical and physical needs of women and children
once subject to such violence.
Drawing on experience with survivors in Sierra
Leone and Northern Uganda, CCF understand that women experience undue
feelings of worthlessness. Girls are often cut off from their families,
which consider them to be 'unclean' or 'damaged.' The women also face
increased risk of contracting STDs, including HIV/AIDS, and are prone to
suffer from reproductive tract trauma, depression and suicide.
CCF
will also implement programming to respond to gender-based violence and
reduce women's vulnerability to exploitation. This includes skills
training for girls, ages11-18, and income generation activities for women
without a source of income. CCF will offer spaces for the women and girls
to heal and gain acceptance from their peers and families. Additionally,
CCF will promote awareness of issues related to human rights and violence
against women, and provide psychosocial counseling, protection training and
legal services to address gender-based violence in a
culturally-appropriate manner.
CCF will also train respected
community members to offer education on HIV/AIDS prevention and birth
control.
Meeting the Needs of Children
The violence and
frustrations of camp life have a visible psychosocial impact on children.
Some have become destructive. Some isolate themselves and do not talk.
Others experience sleeplessness, anxiety and nightmares.
CCF's assessment revealed a severe lack of youth
activities in camps and a need to engage young people in meaningful,
normalizing activities.
CCF will use the second UNICEF grant to
create Child-Centered Spaces, safe havens that provide informal
education, support and protection for children. Recreational activities
that emphasize communication, teamwork and non-violent conflict resolution
build resilience are essential to a child's recovery.
CCF, in
coordination with Medicins Sans Frontieres-Belgium (Doctors Without
Borders), is currently overseeing Child-Centered Spaces in two
refugee camps located in close proximity to feeding facilities.
Additional Child-Centered Spaces will further expand organized educational
activities, provide school supplies and organize recreational
programming.
The organization will also select and train youth from the
community to serve as peer counselors, and create Child Well-Being
Committees, consisting of refugee children and adults, to focus on child
protection issues, support of vulnerable children and child-focused
activities within the camps.