Student Advocacy

Students Taking Action on Darfur

Overview

In Darfur, the Sudanese government and its proxy militia, called the Janjaweed (“evil men on horseback”), have forced over two million civilians out of their homes, destroying both their means of survival and the infrastructure necessary for their return. While the exact number is in dispute, between 200,000 and 400,000 people have died from violence, disease or starvation since this conflict began in 2003. The violence continues, and security and protection are urgently needed in the camps where displaced persons now live.

Physical attacks, the destruction of livelihoods, the hardships of flight and exile, severe trauma, sexual violence and other abuses have deprived Darfurians of the most basic rights: their right to life and to live with dignity. Future health professionals have a special duty to uphold those rights, support survival and stand up against massive loss of life by challenging the lack of governmental accountability and inadequate response of the international community.

> A Note from the Darfur Survival Campaign Coordinator