WORLD NEWS
April 13, 2004
U.N.: More Help for Sudan
The United Nations asks governments around the world to help the African country
 Refugees from Darfur rest in the heat of the desert. |
The United Nations (U.N.) is asking governments around the world for money to help the troubled African country of Sudan. For the past year, fighting between two Arab rebel groups has caused chaos and unrest in Sudan, Africa's largest country. Located in northern Africa, Sudan borders the Red Sea between Egypt and Eritrea.
On Monday, the U.N. set a higher estimate on the amount of money needed to deal with a growing crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, where rebel groups are robbing and burning villages. The U.N. says it needs $115 million in humanitarian aid to provide food, health care, agricultural help, supplies, water, sanitation, education and protection for the Sudanese people. The new call for help replaces an earlier request for $23 million in aid.
The Darfur Conflict
The conflict in the Darfur region began in February 2003 when two rebel groups - the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement - began fighting for a more power and wealth in Sudan. Since the fighting began, more than 700,000 Sudanese have been forced to leave their homes and go to other areas of Sudan. On April 2, the U.N. asked for $30 million to help more than 100,000 other Sudanese who have had to cross the border into Chad, a neighboring country, as refugees.
U.N. officials hope the situation in Sudan will temporarily improve because both sides on Sunday agreed to stop fighting for 45 days so humanitarian workers can do their jobs. This, workers hope, will eventually lead to lasting peace.
FAST FACTS - Sudan:
Capital: Khartoum
Population: 38 million
Area: 2,505,810 square kilometers (slightly more than one-quarter the size of the U.S.)
Languages: Arabic
Literacy: 61.1% of the population age 15 or older can read and write
Poverty: 80% of the population lives in poverty
Industries: oil, cotton, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining
