The sun is burning down. The wind sweeps the barren plain. Thousands of small huts are scattered across the bare ground. Some of them are merely patched together with branches, with pieces of cloth and clothes serving as a roof. They cannot stand up to the torrential downpours, which happen regularly during the rainy season. Other shelters are more solid. Their walls are made of plant materials and the roofs are covered with plastic sheeting. Presently, some 8,000 people are living in Dirage camp in Nyala, which is the capital of South Darfur. There is neither water nor any type of medical service. But the families at least feel safe.

Escaping attacks from the Janjaweed militia, they had fled to this camp, some on mules, but mostly on foot. They lost their homes, their fields, and most of their animals. A few people managed to save some of their possessions, bringing it with them.

35-year-old Fatimah Ahmed is one of the people who fled to the safety of the camp, two months ago, leaving her home village of Badi with her husband and six children. Now she lives in one of the bigger shelters that measures about 10 square meters. She has decorated the entrance with a carpet. But, the memories of the attack by the Janjaweed still haunt her. One of her brothers was killed and she is still caught in the grip of fear.

Hadjah Abdallah Faid too, has suffered a great loss. Her son was killed. Apart from her own three daughters, she is now also responsible for her daughter-in-law and her seven children. "We have walked throughout the night to reach this place", says the 52-year-old woman. Her grief over the loss of her son is still plain to see.

The women in the camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) all have stories of loss and of deprivation. In Dirage camp, in Belil camp, and in many other places in Darfur, their stories ring with sadness and grief. Despite humanitarian aid being implemented, they often find it difficult to get enough food and drinking water. "The need is just overwhelming", says Alistair Dutton, who coordinated the humanitarian assistance in Nyala on behalf of the ACT/Caritas program during the first weeks of the two networks joining forces to respond to the emergency. "And we must be fast," he says, as by the end of the year it is estimated that some 350,000 people's lives could be at risk if assistance does not reach them in time.

Yet, in a number of regions in Darfur, the rainy season has already set in, and access to the refugees is getting more difficult due to many of the roads being flooded and having become impassable.

Some 1,2 million Sudanese are caught up in the conflict between Janjaweed militia and two rebel groups, Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equity Movement (JEM), in Darfur.

ACT and Caritas through their local members and partners are working at implementing a wide-ranging humanitarian assistance program over the next 18 months. So far, two local organizations, Sudan Development Organization (SUDO) and the Sudanese Council of Churches (SCC), have supplied plastic sheeting, blankets, cooking pots, mosquito nets and hygienic articles to nearly 50,000 people in several camps in southern and western Darfur. In IDP camps in Zalingi and Mershing, which have been in existence for some time now, schools and a clinic were built, wells were drilled, and latrines set up.

In Dirage camp, a great number of women only have one meal a day. Many children suffer from diarrhea. Since the start of the rainy season, the danger of infectious diseases spreading has only increased.

Hadjah Abdallah Faid's grandson is coughing and clings to his mother for protection. His father is in Nyala, trying to earn some money to buy medicine.

Other people collect plants and firewood to sell to the local population. They weave mats and baskets to sell in the market. This way, they are trying to survive and to not be dependent on humanitarian aid alone. Life in the camp is harsh. "In my home village life was alright," says 52-year-old Hadija Abdurahim Abdulkarim. "I was able to cultivate my own fruit and my own vegetables. I was independent and self-sufficient. There are so many difficulties here in the camp."

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided $212,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds to aid in these relief efforts.