Church World Service Rallies for Bigger, Better International Response to Genocide in Darfur
WASHINGTON, DC--Feb. 3-- Church World Service has joined the call to the United States government for stronger United States and United Nations action to stop the genocide in Darfur, the Sudan, and to do more to protect people suffering under the deteriorating conditions in the Northeast African nation.
The global humanitarian vowed to keep up the pressure by reissuing its call to action when activists bring the campaign to New York City on Feb. 8.
At yesterday's White House rally, organized by D.C.-based Africa Action, Church World Service's Fidele Lumeya, urged the U.S. government to use its leadership position to strengthen the international response in Darfur; to broaden the peacekeeping mandate to allow a clear role for the protection of civilians; and to assure sufficient international logistical and financial support for the effort. The U.S. is serving as president of the Security Council during the month of February.
Lumeya, associate director for Church World Service's Emergency Response Program, also called upon the Security Council to restructure the Africa Union peacekeeping force now on the ground into U.N. "blue helmet" peacekeepers. The Africa Union and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan both have expressed support for the union's Darfur peacekeeping force to become U.N. peacekeepers.
Lumeya interspersed the Church World Service call to action with remarks about his experiences with the people of Darfur and what he has learned from them as they struggle to survive the horrific violence of armed militias supported by the Sudanese government.
"We at Church World Service feel a special responsibility to advocate for a more effective international response in Darfur because of our ongoing humanitarian work in this violated region of Africa," he said.
Church World Service works on the ground in Darfur with partners from the U.S., Europe, and Sudan, providing some 325,000 families with clean water, shelter, latrines and education. Another 250,000 people are being helped at Church World Service-supported hospitals and health centers where CWS partners run feeding programs for malnourished children and distribute supplies.
The New York rally is scheduled for 12 noon on Feb. 8 at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, located at E.45th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues.
Church World Service is the humanitarian relief, development and refugee assistance agency supported by 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the U.S.
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Media Contacts
Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net