October 19, 2009: The Obama adminstration unveiled a policy towards Sudan that relies less on economic sanctions, in place since the George W. Bush administration, and more on engagement with the Sudanese regime. The policy offers the possibility of incentives to the Sudanese government if measurable improvements on the ground are made before the Sudanese national elections in 2010 and a 2011 referendum on southern secession.

"If the government of Sudan acts to improve the situation on the ground and to advance peace, there will be incentives; if it does not, then there will be increased pressure imposed by the United States and the international community," President Obama said in the statement announcing the policy.

The shift comes after seven months of study and deliberations within the administration, and in the wake of Obama's campaign promise to "take immediate steps to end the genocide in Darfur by increasing pressure on the Sudanese and pressure the government to halt the killing and stop impeding the deployment of a robust international force." [Source: "The Change We Need: Foreign Policy"]

The Sudanese government is headed by President Omar al-Bashir, who is the first sitting head of state ever indicted by the International Criminal Court. The policy represents a shift from the previous U.S. stance towards the Sudanese government, which relied primarily on economic sanctions.

"This is a strategy of engagement. It is not a strategy of isolation," Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salahadin told a news conference. "Compared to the previous policies, there are positive points."

U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Major General Scott Gration, writes: "This strategy includes three primary strategic objectives: first, a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses, and genocide in Darfur; second, implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that results in a peaceful post-2011 Sudan, or an orderly path toward two separate and viable states at peace with each other; and third, ensuring that Sudan does not provide a safe haven for international terrorists.

"To achieve these objectives, we are committed to using all levers of American influence. Fundamental to our approach is a policy of broad, deep engagement for lasting change on the ground. That includes engagement with the National Congress Party (NCP), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Darfuri armed movements and civil society, as well as countries in the region and the broader international community. Crucial to these efforts will be a frank dialog with the Government of Sudan about what needs to be accomplished, how the bilateral relationship can improve with verifiable improvements in conditions on the ground, and how strong pressures will be exerted on Sudan if conditions remain the same or worsen." [Source: WhiteHouse.gov, "A Comprehensive Strategy for Sudan," Scott Gration, posted Oct. 19, 2009]

Raised in in the Democratic Republic of Congo and fluent in Swahili, Maj. Gen. Gration was an early adviser to the Obama campaign on national security issues, and traveled with Obama to Kenya in 2006.

The shift comes as the Obama administration faces dissent from its own supporters over the way forward in the ongoing Afghanistan and Sudan crises.

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March 4, 2009: The government of Sudan has revoked the registration of as many as 10 humanitarian agencies, including Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Solidarities, Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), Save the Children UK (which was not operating in Darfur), Norwegian Refugee Council, CHF, and The International Rescue Committee, which has worked in Sudan for nearly 30 years.

The order comes after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court for the country's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state ever indicted by the ICC.

Mercy Corps will halt programs in Darfur and Khartoum effective immediately to begin implementing the closeout process as outlined by the government.

Mercy Corps deeply regrets the decision of the Sudanese government to revoke its registration. The agency remains committed to working with the government to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to the people of Darfur, and recovery and development programming that is critical to maintaining the fragile peace in other areas of northern Sudan. Mercy Corps intends to appeal this decision under Sudanese law.

"This is a devastating blow to the many people of Sudan who rely upon NGOs for both immediate survival, and help in building more prosperous and stable futures for their families," says Mercy Corps President Nancy Lindborg. "We sincerely hope that this decision will be reversed so we can get back to the critical business of saving and improving lives."

Mercy Corps has been operating in Sudan for five years. The country has been torn apart by two conflicts — a 21-year civil war that ended in 2005 and the ongoing violence in Darfur — and many of its people remain displaced and living in desperate poverty.

In the Darfur region, Mercy Corps provided lifesaving services to 200,000 people who have been forced from their homes by violence and are living in displacement camps. These services include keeping camps clean, training health promoters, building and supplying schools, and providing skills training to women and other vulnerable people.

The Darfur conflict has placed women and young girls in severe danger of assault as they flee their ruined villages. Camps run by humanitarian organizations like Mercy Corps help to keep them safe.

An unthinkable wave of violence continues to wash over the western region of Darfur, an area roughly the size of France located in Sudan, the largest nation in Africa. Since 2003, the conflict between the government-backed Janjaweed militia and rebel groups has resulted in the deaths of at least 200,000 and possibly as many as 400,000, the majority of whom are innocent civilians.

"The United States Agency for International Development estimates that 350,000 people or more could die in the coming months."

—SaveDarfur.org

Over 2.5 million people have been driven from their homes as entire villages are systematically destroyed, compounding the tragedy. Martin Bell, UNICEF UK's ambassador for humanitarian emergencies, says, "In nearly 40 years of traveling the world, I have not witnessed any crisis that so vividly combines the worst of everything — armed conflict; acts of extreme violence; great tides of desperate refugees; hunger and disease combined with an unforgiving desert climate."

The overwhelming evidence that documents the ethnic basis of the Janjaweed's actions has prompted the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to issue a Genocide Emergency. This call to action emphasizes the viciousness of the atrocities and the need for immediate intervention.

Sprawling camps are filled with thousands of struggling refugee families living in improvised huts.

Mercy Corps Aids Refugees

Amid ongoing attempts to instill a lasting peace in Darfur, Mercy Corps continues to help more than 130,000 of the millions of Sudanese displaced by the deadly, ongoing conflict. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) are extremely vulnerable to harassment and violence. Fighting and banditry prevented 355,000 in Darfur from receiving food aid in August 2006, according to the U.N. World Food Programme, which still feeds 2.6 million Darfurians a month — nearly half the region's population.

Distribution of staple foods has been an essential part of Mercy Corps' response to the needs of displaced families in the camps.

More than 200 Mercy Corps staff members are addressing the immediate needs of families in four IDP camps. The reality of life in Darfur's displacement camps is grim: thousands of families are cramped together in a relatively small space with scarce natural resources and limited income opportunities. Mercy Corps' work includes:

• Improving sanitation by building or rehabilitating 4,000 latrines and training men in latrine construction, vital to protecting the health of families.

Women in the camps are learning how to make fuel-efficient stoves using locally available materials to reduce the need to leave the protection of the camps in search of firewood.

• Increasing access to safe water: aid teams maintain hand-pumps and hand dug wells, test water quality, and provide chlorination services at water points.

• Training 200 local women as community hygiene promoters who go house-to-house each day distributing items such as soap and insecticide treated mosquito nets, and promoting good health practices to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera, Hepatitis E, and malaria.

• Teaching thousands of women to make fuel-efficient stoves using locally available materials, reducing the time they spend beyond the camps' secure perimeters gathering cooking fuel.

• Providing education supplies and services to thousands of kids, including rehabilitating schools and constructing temporary classrooms. Various classes also offer women a chance to increase their literacy and learn skills such as baking, weaving, or cheese-making.

To help children cope, Mercy Corps set up safe play spaces with trained young adult facilitators in some refugee camps.

How You Can Help

Donate to Mercy Corps

Since the beginning, Mercy Corps has been committed to aiding displaced Sudanese taking shelter in camps. Despite this huge setback, Mercy Corps is still helping Darfur refugees who have fled to neighboring Chad. Click here to give a gift to help them meet the critical needs of vulnerable families.

Support SaveDarfur.org

The Hunger Site is a member of the Save Darfur Coalition, whose mission is to raise awareness and mobilize a unified response to the crisis. Please continue to support these efforts by visiting the SaveDarfur.org's Take Action Center .

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

—Mahatma Gandhi

Promote Understanding Through Education

Continue to educate yourself and others about the crisis in Sudan. Knowledge and understanding is vital to solving world hunger and cultivating peace. Tell your friends, family, and co-workers to help widen the circle of hope.

Wear Your Support

With every Cultivate Peace Bracelet purchased, The Hunger Site will continue to give an extra 10 cups of food to benefit Mercy Corps' work in Darfur. Every Save Darfur T-Shirt gives an additional 25 cups of food, and with every Save Darfur Pin purchased, we've pledged an additional 50¢ to SaveDarfur.org to support their awareness efforts.

For more information visit:

• Save Darfur

• ReliefWeb

• World Food Programme

• Mercy Corps