Aid workers in Darfur

AID WORKERS IN DARFUR: Since the crisis in Darfur began in 2003, an estimated 200,000 Darfurians have died and another 2.5 million have been driven from their homes, largely the victims of Sudanese government forces and their militia allies. But as bad as the situation is, it would be much worse without the presence of courageous humanitarian workers--some 13,000, of whom fewer than 1,000 are foreigners.

The lives of the humanitarian workers are also at risk. Due to the threat of attack from the militias and from bandits, they are now hunkered down in camps. Attacks on aid workers increased last year, and the government is hampering relief efforts by slowing down travel permits and delaying the shipment of supplies (Christian Science Monitor, March 12).

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