At 22 months old, Abdul Gafar Isaak is much too small for his age. His 18-pound body is the normal weight of a six month-old baby. The severely malnourished boy is being treated at the newly established clinic in Hassa Hissa camp in Zalingei in West Darfur. More than 40,000 people displaced by the ongoing conflict in the region have found refuge here. Many are receiving assistance in camps of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the joint program of Action by Churches Together International and Caritas, which began earlier this year (ACT/Caritas). The clinic is one of the ways ACT/Caritas is responding to the massive needs.

Dr. Anastase Butsume says Abdul needs high-protein food. According to health promoter Damaris Ager, a team at the nutrition center identifies about three cases of severe malnourishment each day and transfers them to the clinic.

The people in Zalingei are suffering from lack of food. The last time the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) distributed food in the camp was two and a half months ago. “We have no money and no work,” says sheik Hassan Mohammed Abdullah, the leader of Konge village, about 31 miles (50 km) from Zalingei.

The story of how some people arrived at the camp began at 8:00 a.m. one morning in November, 2003. Janjaweed, on horses and camels and carrying guns, attacked Konge, forcing 2,000 residents to flee, the sheik recalls. The Janjaweed killed 28 people, torched the village and took all the goods, crops and cattle. “Before the conflict, we had cows, donkeys and horses and grew crops,” the sheiks says, “but now, even clothes we have to get from the people in Zalingei.”

IDPs who have lost family members in attacks like this find it even harder to cope with the difficult situation. Hadya Musa Ismael’s parents were killed in the attack on her village. The sheik asked the family of her 10-year-old friend Howa to take care of the orphan.

Without guarantees of security or the government disarming the Janjaweed, many people do not feel safe returning to their villages, the sheiks in Hassa Hissa camp say. The people do not want to stay in the camp, but they do not expect to be able to return home soon.

Stripped of their safety, homes, means of making a living, and now struggling without even a basic necessity of life — food — the lives of people here hang in the balance.

Due to the lack of food and other contributing factors, the mortality rate among children under five-years of age is alarming, according to a survey by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The rate in Kass is extremely high at 5.9 deaths per 10,000 children per day. The emergency threshold is two deaths per 10,000 per day for that age group.

ACT/Caritas runs two clinics and is rehabilitating a health center in Zalingei. Patients line up in the early morning, and Dr. Waled Mohammed sees 200 to 300 people a day. Malnourished children under age five who are transferred to the clinic receive supplementary food, as do pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

The community has helped set up the clinic and the nutrition center. Midwives work in a tent provided by the German government through Caritas. The head of the ACT/Caritas office in Zalingei, Caleb Muriiti, stresses that the health team plays an important role in preventing diseases in the camps. ACT/Caritas has also set up latrines (toilets) with the participation of the IDP community, and although residents of the camp are not used to cleaning the toilets in their own homes, in a crowded place like a camp, they are taught the importance of this.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided $252,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds for humanitarian assistance to Darfur IDPs. Recent funds have helped with sanitation needs.

$818.00 provides sanitation assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in a refugee camp that includes one toilet per four families (20 persons) and wells providing water for up to 250 people.