Saturday, August 12, 2006

U.N.: Darfur Is Becoming 'Catastrophic'

By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER

The Associated Press
Thursday, August 10, 2006; 9:12 AM

GENEVA -- The United Nations' top humanitarian official warned Thursday that the situation in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region was becoming dramatically more dangerous, as rapes and attacks by militias and rebel factions continue despite a 3-month-old peace deal.

The U.N. said a day earlier that the May 5 peace deal, signed between Sudan's government and Darfur's main rebel group, was "doomed to failure" unless the government provided more support

"It's going from real bad to catastrophic in Darfur," Jan Egeland told reporters at the U.N.'s European headquarters in Geneva.

Fighting has actually increased since the peace deal, "and it has been particularly terrible among (rebel) factions fighting each other," Egeland said. "That's led to tens of thousands of people being displaced, and sexual abuse and many other types of violations." More

To stay current on the crisis in Darfur please visit The Coaltion for Darfur.