“Just as my dreams have come true in coming [to the Iridimi refugee camp in Chad] to see this [Solar Cooker] project to fruition, here’s hoping the refugees’ dream of going back to their homes in a safe and secure Darfur happens soon… or at least within our lifetime.” – Rachel Andres, Director, Solar Cooker Project, 2007
With a great deal of joy, tempered by a degree of sadness, we can report that Rachel’s dream is coming true as of this week.
Two months ago, we commemorated the 15th anniversary of the start of conflict in Darfur, the first genocide of the 21st century. Jewish World Watch was founded as a direct response to the Darfur genocide. The Darfur genocide has caused the deaths of approximately 400,000 Darfuris, and displaced more than three million people.
This week, the first group of 53 Sudanese refugees from the Iridimi camp left Chad for Darfur on a “go-and-see visit” to assess on-the-ground conditions prior to a larger scale homecoming. UNHCR spokesman Andrei Mahecic stated that amid a “significant” reduction in inter-ethnic tensions in the region, “there is growing interest in returns” and that thousands may return to Darfur through the rest of 2018. The returnees are provided transportation and a “return package” which includes a three-month supply of food rations from the World Food Program.
Approximately 300,000 Darfuri refugees still live in camps in eastern Chad, with more than 1.5 million displaced within Sudan or in neighboring countries. Our dedication to the survivors of genocide has never wavered. We remain committed to the Darfuris and to supporting education and reducing food insecurity through Little Ripples and perma-gardening in Chad.
So yes, I rejoice in what I hope to be a growing trend toward normalcy for some Darfuri families. Yet, the Yazidis, Syrians and Rohingya are currently experiencing the same horrors that our Darfuri brothers and sisters have lived with, the Nuba Mountains region and South Sudan are still in turmoil and the DRC is still struggling under the yoke of Joseph Kabila. Much more remains to be done to achieve our aspiration of a just and genocide free world.
As we prepare for the final Walk to End Genocide of the 2018 season, I am grateful to those who have stayed the course, who view JWW’s mission as their own, and who will never stand idly by so long as genocide and mass atrocities continue to plague our world.
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